


Blood Chains

by EtherealMoonWriters



Series: Blood Chains [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Enchant, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Go check it out on there, How Do I Tag, Humor, I Don't Even Know, I Made Myself Cry, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I can't believe those tags actually exist, Keyboard Smash, Lunar, Maybe a little more than kinda, Modern Era, My First AO3 Post, My First Fanfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Relationships to be added - Freeform, So like if you want, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, This work actually has pretty good grammar, Warlock - Freeform, Werewolf, Witch - Freeform, Wizard, asdf don't worry y'all, it's kinda gay, obscure, regular updates, vampire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 36,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24331804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtherealMoonWriters/pseuds/EtherealMoonWriters
Summary: For generations, Lunars, Enchants, and Obscures have strived to stay hidden from the human world. And, for the most part, they have, with the humans remaining blissfully unaware of their existence. They live amongst humankind as friends and colleagues, neighbors and classmates, and even as significant others. But the world is constantly changing…. . .What have you done…”“I did what you were too weak to do.”. . .“Why can’t you just admit that you like me? That you want to be with me.”“You’re confused. I don’t like you. Never have and never will.”“I know you do. I know—”“You hope, I think you mean. You’re so desperate for attention, it’s nauseating. All you do is annoy me, and honestly, it’s no wonder that you’re still single. I couldn’t imagine anyone staying around long enough to be with you.”. . .“Wolves mate for life.”“If it’s a life with you, I don’t mind.”Updates every Monday @ 5pm CST
Series: Blood Chains [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756639
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

_ Blood. _

My head is pounding.  _ I need it. It’s not enough. More…  _

_ The craving. It’s too much. _

_ Wait… _

_ This isn’t me.  _

I look around.  _ Where am I? Who is that? I think I’m in someone else’s head. It doesn't feel like it’s me. _

My vision begins to clear, and the feelings fade into the background. All I see is red. The scene intensifies.  _ It’s blood, lots of it. And wait—Is that a man? I don’t know why, but somehow I know that he’s dead. _

The scene goes dark for a while. I’m not sure how much time passes before it shifts.  _ I think I’m—no they—are getting up. I think they’ve come back to their senses. The craving has dulled, and I feel panic rising in my throat. I— _ RINGGGGGG

“Fucking phone,” I mutter to myself, and click to accept the call. “What do you wan _ — _ ”

“Kierane,”  _ Ugh, Verity. _ I look at my phone.  _ At three in the fucking morning. _ I put my ear back to the speaker. “You have to help me. I didn’t mean _ — _ He’s _ — _ I don’t know _ —” _

My brows furrow, “Wait what? Ver, slow down.”

“I’m texting you an address. Get here. Fast. Please”

“But wait, what did you—” The call ends. I sigh. “do.”

_ What if… no it couldn’t be… _


	2. The Beginning of the End

**KIERANE**

_Earlier that morning…_

Verity never came home last night. Although, she probably just got hung up at a frat party. Again. She doesn’t seem to be able to resist the draw of alcohol, men, and invitation to forget her worries. I can’t relate—I prefer staying home and binge-watching “Psych” for the thousandth time. I look at my phone, which sits on top of my open calculus book that I forgot to close after my late night studying session with a tub of ice cream. It’s already 9:13. _She’s never taken this long to come home_. She missed class today too. She hasn’t ever done that before either. Although she is extremely unpredictable, she would never leave me to worry this long. I begin to feel a sense of dread wash over me when the door swings open. It’s Ver—it has to be—but she smells different. I don’t know how to describe it but something is off.

“Hello!” A voice echoes through the apartment. It’s definitely her. “Is there a Kierane Lyell alive in here?”

“Nope! Sorry, I’m dead. I died when you didn’t show up to class this morning. I was worried, and therefore: you killed me. Dude, where were you?” 

“Don’t be such a mom. I’m fine,” she twirls as if she were showcasing herself, her dress flaring as she spins. It’s an awfully bright shade of orange; the color almost distracts me from noticing the wrinkles that meant she slept in it. “Not a single mark on me. Or at least, not a single non-consensual one.” Her puppy-like brown eyes give me a wink in normal Verity fashion. I groan. She’s always been like this, but it’s different. She’s acting off.

“Anyway,” she drawls. “What did we do in class today? I can’t be failing college. My parents would kill me.” I don’t know what came over me, but I felt like I had to know what she was hiding. My instincts are telling me that something happened, and they’ve never been wrong before.

“Where were you last night?”

“Come on, Kier,” she rolls her eyes playfully, but I can tell I struck a nerve when her lips flash into a quick frown. “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine, even you can see that.” She walks past our small television given to us by her mother. It was one of the only times Verity has ever mentioned her family to me. It was a touchy subject, and she made it clear that it was off limits. When she reaches the corner of the living room, she flicks off the cream colored lamp with a look of disdain as she plops herself down on our worn-out, grey leather couch. I watch as the tension in her muscles dissipates. I’ve never noticed how large the bags beneath her eyes were until now. She’s barely moving. _Is she even breathing?_

“Well yeah, but I’m still gonna be concerned,” I let out a sigh. Verity can get testy when I press any subject too much. It’s confirmed that I shouldn’t push my luck with her when she groans in frustration at her long, tangled white hair. She is having a difficult time putting into a makeshift bun. “Alright, I’ll let it go. For now.”

I can see the relief wash over her as she makes herself more comfortable by taking off her gray heels. I could only imagine the pain she feels in the balls of her feet from wearing those devilish contraptions all night. But still, I definitely should have pressed the subject. She’s in trouble. But why? Maybe I’m wrong. There’s nothing alluding to danger, and yet…

“There’s nothing to be concerned about. I just lost track of time on my study session with Corbin.” 

“Who the fuck is Corbin?”

“I’ve told you about him before, haven’t I? I’ve been meeting with him to work on a project for lit. I have to have told you about how I thought he was really cute.” I think I vaguely remember her talking about him. To be honest, I barely listen when Verity drones on and on about guys she finds attractive. Even more so, because she was considered gorgeous by the guys she talks to. The men she likes usually end up finding her… how did one guy put it… _the very definition of a cute angelic seductress_. It’s funny actually. One would think that her condescending attitude is more of a turn off.

“Okay, but you think a lot of people are cute, Ver-bear.”

“True enough,” she concedes. I know she can feel the questions running through my mind. “But Corbin and I only talked. I promise. Nothing happened. We did our project, and I slept on his couch. I wasn’t about to risk getting caught by the RA.” 

_Liar._ Well, that’s not the whole truth at least. Her entire appearance screams that she didn’t rest well at all, and she’s never cared about getting in trouble with our RA. She isn’t making any sense. But I drop the subject when her eyes narrow into a fierce glare at me.

“If you say so… Anyways,” Desperate for a change in topic, and also finally realizing how hungry I am, I ask her, “You hungry? I’m planning on getting some Panda Express.”

“No, no, you go ahead. I have things to do anyway.”

“What do you mean by things? Or actually, maybe _who_ do you mean by things?” 

“Don’t worry about it,” The cheeky smile on her round face causes her eyes to become tiny smiles themselves. It’s cute, but oh so insufferable. 

I let out a groan of exasperation, “Oh, fuck you. You do realize saying that will only make me worry more, right?”

Verity just giggles as she opens the lilac door on the right side of the hall and retreats into her room. And just like that, she’s the Verity I know again. For a brief moment, everything is back to normal—just how it was the day before. I should have appreciated that moment more.

. . . 

The whole day is pretty much like this. Verity lets go of the whole thing, and the subject isn’t brought up again. However, it never leaves my mind, and the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach grows larger as the day goes on. When I come back from Panda Express, Verity is holed up in her room. The entire apartment is pitch black. _She must have closed all the blinds_ . I give her the food I bought for her. It’s her usual, but she barely gives the bag a second glance as she thanks me. I notice that she changed out of her old clothes and put on a fresh face of makeup. To anyone who doesn’t know her, she looks good. Behind her it's a mess. Everything she owns is scattered on top of her white furniture and covering her carpet floor. The things were thrown all over the place as if she was releasing pent up anger. Before I can take in anymore of the view, she snaps the door shut. _Damn. I thought I was the one with bad people skills_. 

Suddenly, my phone is buzzing on the kitchen counter. The name ‘Jettison Havenbrooke’ lights up the screen. _That’s weird… He doesn’t usually_ text _me much less_ call _me._ I push Verity’s skittish behavior out of my mind. Tossing myself onto one of our apartment’s uncomfortable peach colored stools, I click to accept the call.

“What’s wrong?”

Jett’s voice fills my ear and I bite my lip to contain a small laugh threatening to break my composure. I remind myself that in person he doesn’t sound like a girl with a deeper voice—it’s just the way he sounds through the speakers. 

“Kai demands that you get your ass here right now, his words not mine, so don’t kill me when you get here.”

“Did he say why?”

“What do you think?”

“I think he’s being a little bitch. I’ll take that as a no then?”

“You know he heard you say that?”

“Fucking good. Kai, stop being a bitch and tell me what you want. I have bigger problems to deal with right now. I have an online test to turn in within the hour.” _And there’s the whole Verity issue as well, but I’m sure as hell not gonna tell him about that_. Suddenly, a third voice joins.

“Just get your ass over here.” The call ends. _Figures_. Kai Everhart can be an even bigger bitch than Verity sometimes and that’s saying something. I knock on Verity’s door, but there’s no response.

“Hey! I have to go deal with a family thing. I’ll be back late tonight so don’t wait up. Text me if something happens though, okay?” Still nothing.

“Okay?” I shout louder. “O—”

The door swings open. “Shut up, I heard you. That’s fine. I’ll be here… Actually, Corbin and I are planning on finishing our project.”

That was the end of that conversation. _Damn, she’s really moody today_. I put on my teal running shoes, and stretch for the run to BloodStone Manor, my pack’s area of residence. It wasn’t too far away—for a wolf, that is. Just a few miles, the worst part is the forest. In no time, I’m entering the front door.

. . . 

Fucking dumbasses. I go all that fucking way for nothing. Apparently, a few members of CrimsonShadow, a rival pack, stumbled into our territory looking for a fight. They called me there to help, but the dumb fucks handled it on their own. Then they didn’t even bother to tell me until after I got there. A whole day wasted.

I finally went back home. It’s late, and I’m covered in dirt from roughhousing with the pups. After taking a shower, I tiptoe past Verity’s room, not bothering to see if she’s awake. It’s 1 o’clock in the morning, and she’s typically out by 11 at the latest because “beauty sleep is a basic human requirement.”

I melt into my warm bed and fall asleep. It’s been a long day, but it was about to get a whole lot longer.


	3. Falling From Grace

**VERITY**

It all began to blur when I slammed the door in Kierane’s face. I still can’t believe I did that. But that’s not my main concern right now. I’m more worried about the way that my body moves without my control. I don’t know when I ended up walking on the sidewalk glaring at all the tall streetlights, but somehow my feet have a set destination in mind, and I’m only here to accompany them. I hope my journey ends with finding Corbin. He’ll know what to do. I’m glad that the sun is down otherwise the light pink skirt I’m wearing wouldn’t protect my legs from the slow but excruciating burn of its rays. The wide streets are basically empty—minus the few stragglers going home late. Still, the sound of their blood pumping through their bodies is deafening. My pace falters—I don’t know why—but I convince myself to keep moving, nervous of what I’ll do if I stop.

_ No... I will not give in... Keep walking…  _

The glowing electric yellow sign above the old creaky door shines brightly in the shadows of the night. I’m sitting down at a bar. The first thing I notice is a hand giving me a drink with a tiny blue umbrella. It’s in front of me in a matter of seconds, but I don’t remember ordering one. Someone comes to my side. Out of everyone in this place, he captures my attention the most. There’s something about him that just tempts me. Maybe it’s the way his long eyelashes accent his stunning eyes. Or it could be the way his burgundy tee-shirt does nothing to hide his lean figure. My eyes trail down his body, taking in the way his blue jeans hug his legs, and his nice, dark blue shoes. I still can’t put my finger on what I find so captivating about him.

“Hey, cutie.” He smells good too. I throw him another glance. “What’s a sweet girl like you doing so late at night alone?”

It’s not his cologne. It’s something stronger, and I want it. He notices my silence. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come off too strong. I just noticed when you came in. You’re… really pretty.”

“Thanks,” I smile. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

He rubs the back of his neck as his beautiful black hair falls to the side. There’s a shine to his tan skin right on his collar bone. His heartbeat. _ It’s faster _ . It’s his blood. _ I need it _ . I hear it pumping through his veins. _ It’s so loud _ . He said something. I missed it. “It’s a bit loud in here. Why don’t we go somewhere more comfortable?”

“Lead the way.”

It’s hot. I’m so close to fulfilling my desire. All I have to do is lift my lips a few inches and they’ll connect with what I want. I leave trails of red lipstick, and ravish his throat with imprints of my lips. He’s perfect. I can tell he lives a healthy lifestyle. No wonder his blood smells so delectable… so inviting… so rich… 

He pushes me onto the comforts of his bed. It’s softer than I thought. If I wasn’t so enraptured by the handsome man above me I would’ve asked him where he bought his sheets. They’re a deep red—I wonder if he does this often because it sets my senses ablaze.  _ No. This won’t do. _ With a bit of difficulty, I wrap my much shorter legs around his waist and quickly flip us around. Soon enough he’s under me. I smirk as his muscles flex—he likes it. 

My lips trail his neck looking for the perfect spot. Found it. I sink my fangs into his flesh, and the taste of blood is intoxicating. It’s mine— _ he’s _ mine.  _ I need it. I need more. _ He groans.

My focus hones in on the blood rushing through his veins. It’s sweet. I can’t feel anything other than the impulse to take more. Is he struggling? 

If he was, he stopped. 

. . .    
  


God, what time is it? I feel a million times better. I think I just needed a good long rest, but when did I go to bed? Doesn’t matter, I suppose. Although, that was an intense dream I had last night. I don’t remember too much about it, other than the fact that I killed someone.  _ Crazy... _

I try to get up, but I trip over something instead and land on my face. What the fuck was that? 

If I was still human, my blood would’ve run cold. I stagger back into a wall clamping my hands over my mouth to muffle the slight scream rising in my throat. 

“It wasn’t a dream,” I repeat over and over. There’s no spark of consciousness or life in his pale brown eyes. I can’t stop holding his stare. “Please… don’t be dead.”

I rush over to check his pulse, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t hear blood flowing through his body. Everything was so silent. I force myself to close his eyes. I can’t stand the lasting hysterical fear I sense in them. 

“What do I do? I mean I killed him right? Do I bury him? Do I run? Don’t be an idiot, someone will catch you if you run. Who am I kidding… someone will catch me either way.” I ponder all of the possibilities, numb to the excess blood all around me. As if on reflex, I pull out my phone to call the one person I can think of.

“What do you wan _ — _ ” Thank god, she picked up right away. 

“Kierane. You have to help me. I didn’t mean _ — _ He’s _ — _ I don’t know _ —” _ I don’t know what to say. How do you tell your perfectly normal best friend that you drank all the blood out of a human because you are a fucking vampire. How do you tell someone that you killed an innocent person in general? What if she doesn’t believe me? I don’t know what I’m doing.

“Wait what? Ver, slow down.” I must have woken her up because she sounds groggy. I attempt to slow down all my thoughts. I can’t tell her over the phone. I need to calm down and organize myself before I tell her everything. 

“I’m texting you an address. Get here. Fast. Please.”

“But wait, what did you—” I ended the call immediately. I open up the map on my phone to get my current location. Once I send her the address I put my phone down next to me. I look back at the body laying on the bed. Maybe I should put him in some clothes.

. . . 

In the bathroom, I mull what I’m going to say once Kierane gets here in the bathroom. The water trickles from the faucet that I just used to splash my face. I tried to wash away the fear I was feeling, but nothing can make me forget. I ground myself with a steel grip on the marble counters. I lift my face to look deep into the mirror hanging on the white walls. It’s a good thing my reflection is hazy because I don’t think I would like what I see right now. I can tell my hair is a mess, but I’m more afraid of what I would see reflecting back in my eyes. I’m pulled away from the shaky image of myself by a sharp knock on the door.

“Kier.” She comes into view as I slowly pull open the door. “You came…”

“Of course I came,” she pauses to survey her surroundings, but as far as she can tell it’s a normal everyday mundane living room. The space is larger than our apartment, but I already could tell that he was well off. His couch is white. It must be new because there isn’t a single stain on the pristine thing. Then there was his carpet that looks designer. It was the most colorful part of his entire house as the reds, oranges, and yellows molded together to make an impressionist image. He had a ton of paintings on the wall, which probably cost him a pretty dime. Everything looked expensive to our broke college student asses, but in reality it was just average. “You sounded desperate and like you were in trouble.”

“Still, thank you, and I’m really sorry about how I was acting before. And I’m sorry for dragging you out here so early in the morning. It’s—what—three a.m.?”

“A little bit after that, but yeah, it is. Honestly, it’s okay. I could tell something’s been off with you. You’re not acting like yourself at all…. what’s the issue, by the way? Why were you so frantic over the phone?”

“I’m not myself anymore… You wouldn’t understand—”

“Try me.”

I sigh, “Here. Just follow me. I’ll explain after you see.” I lead her down the hall into the master bedroom that contains the man I killed.

“I knew I smelled death.”

“You  _ smelled _ death?” I give her an incredulous glance. “Why aren’t you more shocked? He’s dead.”

“Ver, what are you? Tell me the truth—the entire truth.”

“I don’t know what to say… He said he turned me into an obscure… or something like that. I don’t know what that is, because I’m pretty fucking sure I’m a vampire, and a murderer. Kierane. I killed that man! Why don’t you get that?”

“Okay. I have to tell you something. I need you to understand that it wasn’t your fault. It was the bloodlust. Your sire wasn’t there to help you control it. And I get it—I really do—even if I look undeterred. But first things first: the mess. We have to take care of it. I’ll get rid of the body, but you need to help me clean up this blood before anyone else finds out. I promise I’ll explain everything when we get home, but right now, we have to prioritize.”

“No. You have to explain. I have to know what exactly I am, and what you are. You’re not human either are you?”

“No, I’m not.” She looks like she’s bracing herself for what she’s about to reveal. I have to know what I’m getting myself into. She continues, “I’m part of a hidden society in the world. My people are called the Lunars. There are two others: the Enchants and the Obscures. Again, we’re on a time limit, so can I explain the rest later? I really need you to trust me on this. Please, Verity…”

I nod my head begrudgingly. So many questions are trapped in my mind, and I can’t even ask any of them, but she’s right. I turn to the body. This is more urgent. She takes the body somewhere. I don’t ask, because I don’t want to know. I look at the sheets, and decide the best thing to do would be to bleach them and then throw them away. I toss them into the washer with enough bleach to sting my eyes. 

I need a change of clothes. I have no other option but to grab something from his closet. I pass by his wallet. Curious, I open it to look at his driver’s license.  _ Liam Jacobs. He isn’t smiling in the picture, but the glint in his eyes tells me he was happy that day. Date of Birth: January 18, 1998… He was 22…  _

Suddenly everything came back to me. The bar, the drink, the way he talked, his smile—the moment he gave up fighting for his life. I dropped the license and gripped the surface of the night stand. I’m a monster. 

. . . 

I tuck in the button down shirt. It’s a bit big, but I’ve always adored oversized clothes. I’m determined not to just wear a shirt as a dress and look like I was coming back from a one-night stand, so I wash the skirt that I was wearing the night before. It was taken off by the front door, so it had evaded the bloodbath in the bedroom. I put on my shoes as Kierane was returning into the house. In my arms were the bloody clothes. I’ll burn them later.

“Don’t tell me what you did to Liam please,” I said in a hushed voice.  _ I wouldn’t be able to handle knowing what happened to him.  _

“I’m gonna assume that was his name. It wasn’t anything bad—” Images of Liam’s body writhing in pain, and cries for me to release him flood my thoughts. I can feel the life draining in my hands as I take more and more of his blood.  _ Stop it. Stop it. STOP IT! _

Silence.

“Shut up,” I mumble. I give her an icy look. “I told you not to say anything.”

“Okay, okay,” Kierane raises her hands in defense. “Let’s get out of here. I told you I’d explain, so I guess it’s time to clarify everything. I’m taking you to my place—”

She hands me an umbrella that was propped up near the door. I’ll use it when the sun comes up. Remembering her words I giggle, “So soon? We haven’t even had dinner yet. This is a bit too fast for our relationship.”

Kierane chuckles lowly, as her eyes roll in a very obvious manner. “Ha. Ha,” sarcasm drips from every word. “Very funny. But if that’s your main concern, then wouldn’t you say we’re past this stage? After all, I’ve brought you dinner so many times—you’re practically in debt!”

“Hmm… I suppose that is true.” We had been walking this entire time to the car she brought. I’m glad that our friendship is still stable. I take this moment to look at her— _ really look at her. _ She’s wearing that black hoodie again, but I find content in the familiarity of her clothing choices. Her outfit is complete with black leggings and combat boots to help her keep to the shadows, but she can’t stay too hidden with her royal blue highlights peeking out from her black hair. I can’t help but question who she really is because she’s been hiding secrets from me.

Suddenly, she snaps her head to the side. I ask her, “What’s wrong?”

“I thought—” she shakes her head. “Nevermind… it was just a bird. Don’t stress. I’m just being paranoid.” She climbs into the driver’s seat. I place the bloody clothes in the trunk of the car and take the passenger’s seat.

“Precisely where are we going?”

“BloodStone Manor.”


	4. Strength Begins With Trust

**FLASHBACK**

✤ ✤ ✤

_ Junior Year of High-School _

The bell signals the end of the day and for students to go home. Verity drags her feet as she leaves her physics classroom—her energy dissipating with the weight of kinematic equations and projectile problems. She descends the stairs to the second floor of the building and is jostled by the desperate students wanting to leave the hell that was Ridgeview High School. Finally, she makes it to the basically empty floor that has her French teacher awaiting their tutoring session. 

She passes by the series of classrooms that were already locked up for the day. Just as she is about to turn the corner, she hears the sound of a chair clattering to the floor in a room that has its lights off. The abrupt racket is followed by a distinct “Oh shit!”

Within seconds Verity throws the door open, “That better not be Kierane fucking Lyell, because she told me she was going ho—”

Her eyes adjust to the lack of light, and the scene in front of her causes her to choke on her words. In front of her, Kierane is pinned against the wall with the student council president, Calissa Smith, holding her hips firmly. Calissa has just pressed her lips to Kierane’s when Verity barges into the room, but the duo jolt apart as soon as they hear her voice. Kierane is dumbfounded when she realizes she has been caught, and the red that engulfs her face is precious.

“Crap,” Kierane adjusts her shirt, and her voice trembles, “Verity.”

Verity purses her lips at the awkward tension, “Well, I have a tutoring session.” She closes the door in front of her slow enough to hear every creak of the hinges and speed walks away like a grandmother in weight watchers.

Kierane and Calissa share a look before Kierane takes off to confront Verity. It takes her a few minutes to snap out of her daze, but she quickly attempts to make up the distance between them. However, Kierane sorely underestimates the celerity of her friend’s flight response, because she barely catches Verity before she’s able to enter the French classroom.

She drags a reluctant Verity into a nearby room instead, “Wait! I can explain…”

Verity nods her head, but her foot impatiently taps against the floor.  _ This better be good. _

Kierane lets go of her hold on Verity’s arms. “I—umm—I don’t know where to start, actually.”

“Okay.” Verity moves back toward the door. “I have French.”

“Wait—at least give me a chance to gather my thoughts,” Kierane pulls her back and restrains her by holding her wrists above her head.

“To what? Come up with a decent lie. God, don’t you trust me? If you’re dating Calissa, you could’ve just told me.”

“I’m not though! Callie and I aren’t together. We were just…”

“Making out in empty classrooms after school, after lying to your best friend about your plans? Yeah, okay…” Verity rolls her eyes, and winces at the slight added pressure Kierane applies to her wrists.

“That’s not fair. That was only the second time anything happened. And the only reason I couldn’t tell you was because of your parents. They’re literally the most homophobic people I’ve ever met!”

“They aren’t! They’re only… apprehensive about it. But what does that have to do with me knowing? I’m not my parents, Kier. I thought you knew that?”

“I do, I swear! I was just… scared. You’re my best friend, I don’t want to lose you—I  _ can’t _ lose you,” her eyes fall to the floor as the tears spill over. “And then that whole thing with  _ him _ happened, and—I don’t know—it was just never the right time. I’m sorry you had to find out like this...”

Kierane’s stress heightens when Verity stops responding. She looks up through the red puffiness of her eyes, and her eyebrows furrow when she sees Verity’s nose scrunch. Verity’s giggle that sounds like tiny church bells reminds Kierane of when they were children. “I can’t believe I saw you sucking the face of our president. You managed to snag such a hot senior.”

“Y—you’re not mad?”

“No,” Verity giggles and her hair falls in her face. “I think I was just upset when I thought you didn’t trust me anymore.”

Kierane doubles over onto Verity as sobs wrack through her body, “You’re my best friend—closer than that. I’m always gonna trust you, and I’m so sorry for making you doubt that.”

“I would hug you back, but…” Verity attempts to move her arms, but her wrists are still caged in Kierane’s hands.

Kierane chuckles and releases Verity’s hands, “Sorry.” 

The two embrace each other until Verity realizes: “Oh shit! My French lesson!”

✤ ✤ ✤

_ Senior Year of High-School _

Graduation is just around the corner for Verity and Kierane. All the college applications have been sent, and now everyone waits with bated breath for their acceptances or rejections. Kierane, in particular, is feeling the anxiety of being denied from her first choice, the University of Whitewater. Everyday, she waits for the letter, and Verity can’t help but pity her.

Kierane starts to lose hope as the days pass by. Today, she opens her email, but nothing is there. Verity looks over her shoulder and frowns, “Maybe tomorrow?”

“Maybe… But I doubt it. It should’ve come by now.”

Unbeknownst to Kierane, Verity had applied to the same school and got an acceptance letter last week. She wanted to surprise Kierane, but she hasn’t said anything.  _ What do I tell her? I thought for sure she would get into Whitewater… that’s why it was the only school I applied to. _

“What’s wrong?” Kierane asks after noticing her friend is lost in her own world.

Verity jumps and squeaks out, “Nothing!”

“Okay, well that’s a lie. How about telling me the truth?”

The other girl just shakes her head like a petulant child. 

Kierane sighs, “Okay… Anyways, do you know what college you’re going to? I’ve never really asked you.”

Verity visibly stiffens, and she tugs at her hair to attempt to calm herself, “Oh, umm... about that…”

“Oh, god. What is it?”

“Please don’t be mad.”

“About what?”

“I was—I was so sure that you’d get in. It’s all you talked about, and I didn’t have any ideas about where to go. So I—I applied to Whitewater with you. I was undeclared, but I tried really hard on my essay, so that way we could stay together. I didn’t think you wouldn’t get a response… My acceptance letter already arrived.”

“Oh,” Kierane bites her cheek as she numbly absorbs the information. She blinks a few times.

“Kier. I’m so sorry, but I have to go there. I didn’t apply anywhere else, which was stupid on my part.”

“I mean—I’m happy for you… I’m just kinda disappointed.” She looks out of the window at the Starbucks Coffee shop that they went to after school. _ Most of my pack went to Whitewater. _

Before Verity could say anything else, Kierane’s phone dings. It’s an email from Whitewater University.

“Oh god, Ver-bear!. It’s from Whitewater U! Holy crap. They got back to me.”

“OH EM GEE! What did they say?”

“Kierane Lyell, we are delighted to inform you that you have been accepted into Whitewater University!” Verity’s smile grows bigger as her friend’s voice exponentially gets louder.

“So, we get to stay together?”

“I guess so.”

“Good. That’s all I could ever wish for.”

✤ ✤ ✤

_ Moving Into the Dorm _ . 

Whitewater University is one of those colleges that allows the incoming freshman to choose their roommate if they have someone in mind. Verity and Kierane had also promised to live together when they were older, and that promise always seemed to be empty, but now they have the chance. However, there is a lot of uncertainty that comes with uprooting everything they have ever known.

Verity is ecstatic. She had packed all the things she believed were necessary weeks in advance. Of course, in her suitcases are her giant stuffed animals, gallon sized ziplock bags of jewelry—necklaces, rings, and bracelets of gold tangled together, and all her art supplies. All these things are very essential in Verity’s life.

Kierane isn’t so forthcoming. She procrastinates on filling her bags and taking all her monochrome clothes out of the closet. She meant to gather all her books to take them with her, but the idea of removing them from the shelves she’s had since she was a child makes her second guess her initial plans. In the end, all she has done is arrange her belongings on the floor.

Four days until the move in date, Kierane is still hesitant. She is currently sitting in the middle of all her kpop merchandise, but refuses to try and arrange most of it into the Gryffindor themed backpack in her lap. She leans her head back onto the end of bed as she listens to music on a volume soft enough to hear anyone trying to communicate with her if she chooses. Although most times it's an incentive to ignore them. 

She closes her eyes solemnly, but her phone rings; Verity’s name lights up the screen, but her profile image is what catches Kierane’s eyes. It’s an image of a young, fourteen-year-old Verity over-exaggerating a pose on the ledge of a pool. It was moments before the third member of their previous trio—who Verity refuses to mention now—pushed her into the freezing cold water below.  _ That was a great day. I wonder what he is up to…  _

Kierane accepts the FaceTime call. Verity’s beaming smile illuminates in the dim place she’s currently in. Kierane can’t help but crack a smile as Verity yells off screen at someone, before greeting her friend as if she wasn’t just unleashing her inner demon on a poor unsuspecting soul.

“Kierane,” she draws out in a whine. “How long does it take you to pack?”

Kierane surveys her surroundings, “I’m not even close to being done.”

“Gurl, get your ass moving.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get to it… Eventually.”   
  


Kierane sighs, but Verity misses it when she turns to talk to the same person as before. Kierane gets a glimpse of the person, whom she recognizes to be Verity’s cousin.

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m on the damn phone. Kiss your girlfriend in your room. I will tell your mother!” 

She turns to Kierane, “I swear I always walk in on people making out. You have experience with that.” 

Kierane ends the call. Not five seconds later, Verity texts her back with the laughing emoji and tells Kierane that she’s going to let her go back to packing. Kierane picks up a t-shirt with the  _ Supernatural  _ anti-possession symbol to fold it.  _ Only four more days left…  _

Time flies by, and before the girls know it they have moved into their dorm. Verity exhales as she falls onto her bed, and she kicks her legs back and forth like a giggly preteen who just had the school’s cutest guy slide into her DMs. 

“Just look at us,” she flips onto her stomach and leans into her hands. “We are now college babes ready to pounce into the world of frat parties!”

“Yippee.” It’s evident in Kierane’s voice that she is less eager. This causes Verity to raise her eyebrows in shock. She pushes herself up onto her knees, and maneuvers into sitting cross-legged in the middle of the sheets. Holding onto her ankles, she leans forward as her neck gets lost in her shoulders when they raise.

“Why are you being such a Debbie Downer?”

“I dunno,” Kierane leans against the wall, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. “I guess I’m just not ready for everything to change just yet.”

“But change is a good thing.”

“It is. I still hate it though. I hate not knowing what’s to come.”

“Think about it. If you knew what was going to happen every day of your life. Nothing would be exciting anymore. The adventure and mystery that makes life so wonderful wouldn’t exist.”

“It’s just—I knew my place from elementary to high-school. I knew exactly how things worked. This is just so new, and it’s kinda terrifying.” Kierane moves to take a seat on Verity’s bed after Verity pats the area next to her. The corners of Verity’s lips quirk down as she brushes the fur of her light purple pillow.

“So? You didn’t know that I would come in and change that place you had in your own tiny world. When you entered a friendship with me, you had no idea how it was going to turn out. The world became less of your bubble, and became a whole sea of endless possibilities. And not once did I see you flinch away from the uncertainty I brought.”

“That’s because I always had you by my side,” Kierane flops her head onto Verity’s shoulder. “It was pretty much always just us against the world. But college is gonna be different. And I don’t want it to change anything.”

“I’m going to be real with you. Life is bound to change, and the more you try to prevent that, the harder it will be for you to move on. Life won’t wait for you. It’s not about you—” Verity smacks Kierane’s face with the pillow. “It’s about all of us. Think about all the things that could change. It could be amazing, and if it sucks… I’ll be there with you to endure the shit life throws at you. If everything goes to hell, rely on me to bring us back to the surface, okay?”

Kierane could only bask in the glow that Verity’s smile gave off. She was speechless. Just like that, most of Kierane’s worries faded into the background—they were still there, but they didn’t seem as scary. Verity was Kierane’s greatest strength, and the same was true for the former.


	5. A One-Track Mind

**KIERANE**

I drive up the long, narrow road. If I didn’t know better, I would think that this road led nowhere. The trees cave in at the top, blocking out portions of the sun. The patches of light glitter onto the road, and it never ceases to take my breath away. Miles of forest shroud the heart of my pack’s territory. I steal a look at Verity in the passenger seat, and can’t help but swell in pride at the way her eyes ignite in wonder. I’m grateful that Verity is coming back to her normal self.

“You seem astonished…” I can’t help but comment. The normalcy of the situation enticed me to make small talk like I used to. She’s taken aback from the sudden disruption.

“Yeah,” she’s quiet, but thankfully I can pick up what she said. “I understand why your pack is out here. It’s… peaceful.”

We stop talking. I don’t know what else to say. No matter how much I want things to go back to our regular dynamic, we will never laugh at nothing and everything. We won’t bitch about that girl in our chorus class who thinks she’s all that. The moment Verity entered the small silver Toyota, I could tell that she made up her mind to reserve her thoughts. Her wall is up again, and this time it’ll be much harder to break down.

The trees clear up as we approach the center building where the Alpha lives and our pack holds meetings and Friday game nights. The road winds into a circle around the core building. The roundabout branches off into the multitudes of separate houses that make up BloodStone Manor as a whole. Every family has their own designated house passed through generations. Mine is three houses down from the left. I can hear my parents talking about who is going hunting tomorrow. I bet it’ll be my mother.

Kai is waiting outside the Core. _ Oh shit… He looks pissed. And why is he wearing his fur-lined leather jacket? It’s like… 75 degrees out here!  _ Verity goes on edge. She probably just realized that Kai is a Lunar as well. I park the car a millimeter away from hitting him in the groin. He raises an eyebrow as he looks down. We step out of the vehicle. Verity hisses slightly as the sun touches her skin before she opens up the umbrella.

“Why is she here?”

“Take a goddamn guess.”

“You fucking told her?”

“Where’s the little fuck?”

“I’m confused,” Verity finally speaks up. “Who’s the little fuck?”

“That,” Jett walks out of the house. His typical harem pants are the first thing to catch my eyes; they are an olive green. I can’t believe he is wearing that with a nice cream colored shirt.  _ Damn, Verity must be rubbing off on me if that’s the first thing that comes to mind _ . “Would be me. Nice to see the bitch is back home.”

“Oh okay… Fuck you too…”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Verity smile, and her eyes linger on his rolled up sleeves.  _ Shit… I know what she’s thinking. Gross. _ She walks over to him. “Verity…” My voice sounds pained. “Don’t.”

“Dang, Kierane. Where have you been hiding this fine piece of man?” She gives him a glance over from the top of his floppy long blonde hair to his two lip rings that sit together on the left of his bottom lip to what I know Verity would call a toned, sexy ass. Jett visibly flusters from her checking him out. I let out a long sigh.

“Kierane,” Kai warns. “Control your friend.”

Verity flips her hair over her shoulder. It’s long enough to graze Kai in the face. “It’s been a while since I saw your chiseled jaw. Miss me?”

“You,” I point to Verity, who simply winks at Jett sending him into another panic. “Not the time. Shut your face. And you,” I turn back to Kai. “We need to talk about something.”

“Let’s go inside,” Kai ushers us off the driveway and into the house. We gather in the conference room dedicated to the three of us—and now Verity I guess.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I was promised an explanation,” Verity demands as she takes a seat, immediately making herself comfortable on Jett because there are no others. “Thanks for the seat, honey,” she pats Jett’s cheek. Even though Jett is sitting down, it is painfully obvious that he towers over Verity’s short stature.

Jett gives me a pleading look through long strands of hair that messily cover his face.  _ ‘What do I do? A pretty girl is sitting on my lap. Help.’  _ He conveys through the pack’s psychic link.

“Like I said before, we’re Lunars. We have the ability to shift into wolves at will, except for during the full moon. That’s why I’m always gone for ‘family matters.’ There are multiple packs all around the world, mine is BloodStone. Kai here is the pack Alpha. Jett and I are his second-in-commands. We are both Betas. All three of us are in charge of protecting the pack, and we have premonitions,” I begin to describe my world to her.

“So, you’re werewolves.”

“No,” Jett squeaks out from under Verity. She smiles flirtatiously at him. He clears his throat. “We’re Lunars.”

“Babe, that’s just a fancy term for werewolf.”

Kai stands up to his full 6’4” height in an act of assertion. Fed up with her, he intervenes, “Whatever makes you happy. What I want to know is how you were turned into an Obscure. That is what you are now right?”

“I can’t answer you when I don’t even know what ‘an Obscure’ is!”

“If we’re werewolves. Think of Obscures as vampires. Media got the name wrong, but they act the same,” Jett describes. “ In this world there are the Obscures, the Enchants, and us—the Lunars. We a ll coexist, but not necessarily because we want to. There’s this whole historical war thing that happened, that we don’t even know the whole story of.”

“Wait,” she interjects. “If you’re werewolves, and I’m a vampire… does this mean we are mortal enemies? Am I required to go all Edward Cullen on you?”

I glare at her, “Ver-bear. Love. Do you  _ want  _ to sparkle in the sun? Cause I can make you sparkle in the sun…”

“Obscures and Lunars get along really well actually. However, we don’t get along with Enchants. To be honest, our people haven’t even met one in a long time. Enchants are like Merals—or humans—who are given mass amounts of magical capability, and they typically stay in their coven.” Kai finally sits back down. “Now, how were you turned?”

“Yeah. You mentioned a ‘he’ earlier… Who the fuck was that ‘he’?”

Tension fills the air, as Verity picks herself off of Jett. “ _ He _ is Corbin—”

“That fuckwad!?” I exclaim.

“He’s not a bad person. I sorta told him I wanted to be a vampire. Of course, I didn’t know he would actually turn me into one. I thought vampires—sorry, Obscures—were fiction. It was two nights ago, when I didn’t come home. I didn’t lie, we did work on our project, but something happened and he bit me. He was gone when I came to my senses again. All I found was a message telling me to find him when I was ready. I had no idea what that meant. Then, throughout the day, I began to notice the… changes. At first it was just the sun pissing me off, but things started to add up. When Kierane left, I decided to look for Corbin. I knew he had the answers to my questions.”

“And that’s when everything went to hell?”

“Yup, but it all worked out, and you guys are explaining everything.”

I scoff, “Define ‘worked out.’”

“Well,” she leans down on the back of Jett’s chair and caresses his arm. “I think this works out for me. What do you think, Jett?”

Jett whimpers, “Yeah.”

“Jett,” Kai barked out. The silver piercing on his tongue catches the light as he grins. “When did you become so submissive?”

“I—” As he’s speaking, Verity tests the waters and kisses the cheek that she patted earlier. “...what were we talking about again?”

Verity giggles in amusement. She scratches behind his ear, “Who’s a good boy?”

Jett sighs in pleasure and slouches further into his chair.

“Jett,” Kai snaps at him. “You’re not a dog. Get a hold of yourself.”

“Why? Are you jealous?” I snicker through my words, despite being perturbed by Verity’s behavior towards my packmate. Kai just glares.

Before anything else could be said, one of our messenger pups knocks on the door. “Excuse me,” a small voice from the behind the door politely intervenes. “There are Obscures outside asking to be invited in. They want to speak with you.”

We walk out into the foyer. The doors are open, but the Obscures are lingering in the doorway.  _ ‘I don’t think we should let them in,’  _ I tell Kai and Jett through the bond. Kai agrees with me, and we step outside.

“We were sent here to find and procure Verity Kaylock for a trial against the law of Obscures at the Vampiric Conclave.”


	6. What's So Cliche About Romania?

**VERITY**

“Procure? Am I an artifact now?” I scoff. The nerve of some people. This is the 21st century… women are not objects.  _ They even look like they’re from the dark ages.  _ They both tower over me in size—not that I’m that tall in the first place—and they look like they haven’t smiled in years. But, not going to lie, with a bit of botox and better outfits, they could be really cute. Wait… that’s not the problem here.

“My name is J. Seeber, and this is my associate, N. Davoni,” The man with scruffy reddish brown hair and stubble on his chin introduces himself and his partner. “We have been ordered to bring you in. We would like to do this in a polite fashion, but if you do not come with us, we will be forced to use harsher methods to get you to comply.”

I raise my eyebrows and go to respond, but Kierane cuts me off, “She’s not going anywhere with you.”

“We will take only Verity Kaylock,” the other man retorts. He has cropped blue-black hair, and bright green shirt under a black leather jacket that matches the one Seeber wears. “The rest of you must remain here.”

“Like I said, she’s not going anywhere. Much less without me.” 

I place my hand on her shoulder. “Kierane, it’s okay. I’ll go with them.”

Jett decides to pipe up, “You shouldn’t just follow these brutes. You’re a girl, and they’re two large men.”

“They aren’t going to harm her,” Kai interjects. “They’re simply doing their job. And we should let them.”

I’m inclined to agree with Chiseled Jaw, so I leave Kierane and head towards the two men. Kierane moves to stop me, but I give her a look. I try to tell her that I’ll be fine, and that she should back down. I give Jett a smile and wave goodbye. I look forward to seeing him again.

. . .

“So where are we going?” I ask Seeber and Davoni. They say nothing, so I just follow them out of BloodStone Manor.

Leading me farther into the woods into a clearing, they take me to this weird house. But there’s no roof, and the outside looks like it was ripped from somewhere else. There are no windows, just one black door. The door holds my interest. It’s beautiful. It looks centuries old, but is in amazing condition, and the design carved into the wood is exquisite; I have never seen anything like it. Seeber opens the door for me, and I can’t believe that such a shabby little exterior hides such a breathtaking room inside.

“Is this really the place? I thought we were going to the Vampiric Conclave?” I wait outside the door because I know that I cannot enter a house uninvited.

“We are. And you don’t need permission. This isn’t a home, so please, come inside,” Davoni seems to have read my thoughts. At first glance he seems lanky, but that does nothing to weaken the power of his stature. His sunglasses cover his eyes and whatever intent lurks behind them scares me. Once inside, I notice that there are no doors leading to other quarters. It’s just this one room.

It’s very victorian-esque; The walls are a deep purple with black swirls decorating the wallpaper, and giant billowy gold curtains hang from the walls, but they’re purely decorative. Like I said, there wasn’t a single window. There were 4 seating arrangements gathered to face each other making a rectangle. Each seating arrangement had at least four pillows on it—some in the shapes of circles, others in squares, and a few were hearts. The flooring itself was grey, but on top laid a cream carpet adorned with floral patterns.

“We will only be here for a few minutes, but you can take a seat.” I wasn’t facing them, so I couldn’t tell which one told me that. They sound eerily similar. I sit in one of the loveseats. I might as well make myself at ease.

“Thank you, but I don’t understand what I’m doing here.”

“We are not allowed to tell you much more than the fact that you have been charged with killing a human—a major infraction of our basic laws.” Seeber takes a seat across from mine. Even though I’m looking at Seeber’s warm brown eyes, Liam’s face reflects back at me. I blink rapidly and turn my head away. I try to shake away the images. I will not let this consume me. I open my mouth to ask another question. Maybe if I keep questioning them, they’ll tell me something—anything. 

“We have arrived,” Davoni calls from the door. I turn towards him and am taken back by a pair of vibrant blue. He looks a lot more friendly without his sunglasses.  _ Arrived? We didn’t even go anywhere. _

“Let’s go,” Seeber nods his head towards the door, his man bun shaking with the motion. “Through there. This is where we part.”

“Thank you for telling me why I am here. Even if it wasn’t too much detail,” I give him a genuine smile. Right now, any slight detail is a big help. The corners of his lips turn up ever so slightly. It’s such a tiny shift; I could have imagined it, but I’m going to pretend that what I saw actually happened.

I thank Davoni for holding the door for me, and I exit the room. This definitely isn’t the clearing we were just in. First of all, we are inside. Second of all, it's a long enclosed hallway lit dimly by candles. Upon closer inspection, I notice that a few of the candles are electronic.

I take a look back nervously, but Davoni, Seeber, and the door are all gone. In its place is a barren void. I make it to the end of the hall right as the double doors are thrown open. Out walks a woman. 

“Kamiko,” a loud voice calls from the room. “You can’t just leave while we are talking to you.”

“Look at that. I’m already leaving you old farts,” this woman—Kamiko, I presume—bumps into me. I don’t think she was paying attention, and it was too late for me to react. 

She catches my arm before I topple over, “Woah there. I’m sorry, peach. I didn’t realize you were in front of me. What’re you in for?”

Her black eyes focus on me as if they could see deep into my soul. I feel forced to look back into her soulless eyes that remind me of voids. I blanch at her confidence, “Uh… I killed someone?”

Her perfectly sculpted brows shoot up, “Oh, really?” 

I shouldn’t have said that, but all she does is smirk, “You seem like my kind of girl.”

“What does—” I go to ask her, but she’s already halfway down the hall.

Her voice echoes down the empty corridor, “I hope we meet again! And don’t worry, everyone in the Vampiric Conclave is just a silly old fart. You’ll be fine.”

I bite my lip. She was strange, but I don’t think I’ll ever see her again. Her eyes stick with me a second more. Honestly, I don’t think I’m ever going to see anyone after this trial.

“Verity Kaylock,” it’s the voice from earlier. “Are you just going to stand outside the door like a dingy old bat? Or are you going to come inside? We do not have all day.”

It’s time. I walk in through the door and look up at the voice in the center of the room. I bite back a smile threatening to creep up on my lips.

“Verity Kaylock.”  _ He’s a twelve year old boy. _ “I assume you have been told why you have been summoned here today.”  _ The old fart is a twelve year old boy. _ “I am Kelton Othello Daniel Frederick Leon Drydenhale. I have served as Prexy of the Vampiric Conclave for many centuries. Longer than all preceding prexies known to our people. You have been charged with breaking our most basic of laws: killing a Meral to feed your insatiable desire. If the situation had differed even slightly, that lack of control could have revealed our people to the Merals. How do you plead against this charge?”

The tension is thick as everyone awaits my response. “You’re a twelve year old boy.”

The lady to the left of him bursts out laughing, “Keli, stop acting so high and mighty. She’s never met you before. I can barely take you seriously and I know how old you actually are.”

“Ovidia,” the Prexy glares at her. “Shut up. She is on trial.”

“Come on, Kiwi,” another girl down the table giggles lightly. “She’s just a baby.”

“I told you to stop calling me Kiwi, Ellanora. Just because Kiwi sounds similar to Keli, does not mean you are allowed to undermine my name and position.”

I am astounded by how close they all seem. They act like they’re family in a way.

“Fine,” Ms. Ellanora surrenders. “Kiwi.”

“This isn’t important,” the teen on the other side of Kelton speaks up as he pushes his glasses into place like a goddamn anime character. “Might I remind you insolent bozos that we are in the midst of a murder trial.”

“Taizong, ever the pretentious kiss ass,” another teen grins. 

“Be quiet Litton. Stop speaking as if the things you say are relevant in any sense. They never are.”

“All you guys do is fight. You are all shaming the Vampiric Conclave in front of our guest. None of you even introduced yourselves properly,” a much older man joins. He was sitting at the end of the table. “While our leader is called a Prexy, we are his loyal proxies. You can call me Proxy Buchis. A few names of the others have been mentioned, but that is Proxy Satyana, Proxy Daliah, and Proxy Tanemahuta.”

I look at everyone at the table individually. They are calm and collected. I am not even close to being calm. “I plead guilty. I did kill him, but I swear that wasn’t my intention.”

“Then what  _ was  _ your intention?” 

“I didn’t have one. I went out looking for Corbin. Next thing I knew I killed someone.”

They all share a look. Prexy Kelton speaks up, “Corbin should have been with you this entire time. Why did you need to look for him?”

“What do you mean? After he bit me, he scattered. I was told I had to find him.”

“No. He should have guided you through the process the moment you consented to be an Obscure.”

“Consented? I didn’t actually want to be an Obscure. I guess he heard what he thought was consent and bit me.”

“That’ll be all,” Proxy Ellanora’s tone was a warning to back off. 

“I think I speak for all my fellow Proxies and the Prexy when I say that you are acquitted of the charge,” Proxy Taizong announces. “Corbin should have taken you in as his ward to teach you our ways. You had not comprehend the true extent of what would happen if you did not feed soon. Therefore, it was only natural that you rejected your basic needs for your human morals and succumbed to bloodlust.”

“Agreed,” Prexy Kelton finalizes the verdict as he glances at the door. “He should be arriving any moment.”

“I hate to interrupt,” I finally decide to ask the most pressing question on the top of my mind. “Where am I? Am I still in the United States?”

“No, silly,” Proxy Daliah shakes her head. “You're in Romania. We teleported the room you were in here. It’s one of the only ways in and out of this place. It’s what keeps us so well hidden.” 

“Of course I'm in Romania,” I finally outright laugh. “You wouldn’t be vampires if your conclave was anywhere else. This is so cliché.”

“We don’t understand. What’s so cliché about Romania?”

“Well—” I never get to complete my sentence. Two other men like Seeber and Davoni burst into the room.

“You don’t have Corbin Perali with you?”

“No, Prexy Kelton. He was unable to come here.”

“Why?”

“Corbin Perali is dead. He was murdered.”


	7. Crime and Punishment

**VERITY**

The temperature in the room is cold as everyone processes the recent news. My whole body is numb as I listen to the others go into more detail about Corbin’s death. My mind can’t focus on who is saying what.

“Where was he found?”

“By a river in Vermont. Approximately an hour away from a highly populated city.”

“Did you find him first?”

“Yes, Prexy Kelton, but he has been dead for a long time.”

I begin to tune back into the conversation. “What condition was he in?” I listen to the unknown man that I couldn’t care less about. All I want to know is how Corbin died.

“He seemed to have been tortured. He had burn marks, large cuts, and of course a large stake in his heart. No Meral could’ve done this.”

“Do you have the body?” I turn to the teen with blue and blonde ombre hair messily falling into his face.

“Yes, Proxy Litton. He is in the other room.” The Vampiric Conclave nods collectively.

“Another thing, Prexy Kelton…”

“What?”

The man walks over to Prexy Kelton’s side, dropping his voice so I cannot hear his next words. But gauging the Prexy’s reaction, it couldn’t have been anything good. The two men who had delivered the game changing detail part from the room quickly—most likely to tend to other matters. Soon enough the Vampiric Conclave excuse themselves to look at Corbin’s body. Proxy Ellanora recommends that I stay put, but I know it’s meant to be an order.

_ Corbin is dead… He has been murdered by someone, but who? _ I continue to think about who would want Corbin dead. I disliked the guy for turning me into an Obscure against my will, but I wouldn’t wish this upon him.  _ Why did they torture him? This doesn’t make sense. _

I have stumbled into something much larger than me. I can’t imagine anyone who would kill an Obscure.  _ Isn’t everyone friendly with each other? _ Just then Kai’s previous words flash in my head, _ ‘Obscures and Lunars get along really well actually. However, we don’t get along with Enchants. To be honest, our people haven’t even met one in a long time.’  _ That’s right. The Enchants and Obscures have history, but they have left each other alone. Are they trying to start something? But why now?

My thoughts are cut short by the return of the proxies. The first one through the door is the woman with salt and pepper hair tied loosely into a bun, who I think they called Proxy Daliah. The eight of them sit down, and I notice the lack of a powerful, seemingly twelve-year-old, Obscure. The energy in the air turns grim, and I know I’m not going to like what they tell me. We awkwardly wait in silence until the door swings open for Prexy Kelton. His steps are decisive. The closer he gets to his seat, the larger the dread in my stomach grows. He sits down and laces his fingers together as he lays his chin on top of them.

“Verity Kaylock,” I notice the twinge of pity laced in his voice. “The Vampiric Conclave is charging you with the murder of Corbin Perali.”

Proxy Taizong runs his fingers through his purple hair, ruffling the shape of his bowl cut as he continues, “Upon closer inspection of the body and pictures from the crime scene, it is clear that the motive is revenge.”

“Obscures have been safe from these types of crimes for centuries,” Proxy Ovidia’s voice is soft, and I am thrown off by the kindness in her tone. “We cannot ignore the timing of his death.”

_ I couldn’t kill Corbin, I wouldn’t even hurt a worm. _ I recoil from my own thoughts. The truth is I did kill someone… Liam. Still, I interject, “You can’t possibly believe it was me?”

The disgust is clear on Proxy Tanemahuta’s face, “You’ve been an Obscure no longer than two days and already two people have died. Two people that you are directly related to. One of which you killed yourself.”

“You mentioned that you never wanted to be one of us in the first place. That seems enough for me,” Proxy Satyana narrows her eyes, flicking a strand of jet black hair away from them in my direction.

Proxy Litton clenches his jaw before objecting, “We can’t go accusing people without substantial evidence. We are speculating.”

“Litton, be quiet.” Proxy Taizong and Proxy Litton have an obvious rivalry. I wonder if Proxy Litton is on my side because he believes me or because it is the opposite of what Proxy Taizong thinks. “Are you so childish that you can’t think maturely in this case? Logically, everything points to her.”

“As much as I hate to agree with Litton,” Ovidia pulls her lips back in a grimace. “I think it is unfair to automatically convict her. She deserves time to think everything through and be able to prove her innocence.”

“Prexy Kelton,” Proxy Tanemahuta’s voice strains with desperation. “You can’t agree with Ovidia and Litton.”

Instead of the Prexy replying, Proxy Ellanora gives her opinion, “I think our baby Obscure should be given a chance. As far as we know, she’s destined for much greater things. We cannot just end her life right now.”

“I side with Taizong, Tanemahuta, and Daliah. She should be punished,” Proxy Satyana is much firmer with her words.

“Well, I am inclined to side with Ellanora, Litton, and Ovidia,” Buchis’ speech wavers. I assume he dislikes having to choose a side.

“Stop it,” the Prexy drags a hand down his face, and I see a flash of his true age betraying his young features. “Let’s not fight anymore.”

He shifts to look at me, “I will give you two weeks before your official trial. What you do in that time is entirely up to you. I hope you take my forbearance to find proof that you did not kill Mr. Perali. I am being lenient because I do not want to punish the innocent, but in two weeks if there is no other evidence, I will have no choice. You will be executed for your crime.”

I nod my head. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I should start right away… I have no idea where to begin.

Prexy Kelton snaps his fingers, and the door opens to reveal J. Seeber and N. Davoni. “They will return you to the Lunars.”

“Thank you, Prexy Kelton.” Out of the corner of my eye I see a grin on Proxy Ellanora’s face.


	8. Headlocks, Chalkboards, and Titties

**VERITY**

The trip back is as eventful as the one to Romania—meaning that nothing exciting occurs. I do find out how the room is teleported from inside the Conclave to the outside world. Seeber tells me that most Obscures have the ability to control inanimate objects. It’s highly advanced, which is a bummer because apparently I will have to live another 100 years before I know if I can teleport things. He also confirms that the power grows with age, so even if I do get the power, it will start out with telekinesis over light objects—like feathers.  _ This really sucks. I’m finally living out the dream of every book nerd in the world and I can’t even do any cool magic tricks. _

Before I know it, I’m back in the clearing, and I watch as the room shimmers and disappears into thin air. Even though I’m basically a vampire, my mouth drops at the magical display. After a few moments, I turn to the direction I think the BloodStone Manor is.

Turns out that it’s not the right direction… I only realize this when I reach the road that Kierane had driven us down. Thankfully, the sun is setting so I’m able to stick to the shadows. Stupidly, I had left the umbrella I stole in the teleporting room. I walk along the road, wincing everytime the leaves shift to reveal a ray of dwindling sunshine. I’ve been walking for a while, but I count my lucky stars that I didn’t go in the complete opposite direction of the manor.

I know I’m close—not because I see the building—because I hear the sound of apologetic screams, presumably from Jett. Quickly, I become worried, and I run to where the voices are coming from. I swing the front door open, and luckily it is unlocked. As I walk into the living room, I see Kierane has Jett in a headlock. Poor kid… Kierane’s headlock is brutal. One time I decided to bleach all her black clothes, and proceed to dye them pink. Needless to say, she was not happy, and I had bruises for a week.

“Kierane fucking Lyell,” my stern ‘done-with-her-but-still-best-friend’ voice startles her into loosening her grip, but she quickly adds the pressure back as soon as Jett moves to escape.

“Nuh-uh… You’re not going anywhere,” she whispers harshly to the red-faced boy tapping her arm. Once he is subdued, she calmly turns to me as if she’s not strangling someone to near death. “And Jesus Christ, Ver! When the fuck did you get here??

“Drop it, bitch,” I give her my best glare.

Holding up Jett like a rag doll, she softly swings him side to side, “Drop what? This? No, dude. It deserves worse!”

I notice Kai smirking into his coffee in the background, and I quickly rush him and smack him upside his handsome head. He spills the steaming beverage onto his stomach and yelps in pain. “Chiseled Jaw! What the fuck are you doing?”

“Shit!”

“Oh, grow a fucking pair! It's just warm bean water.”

“Verity,” Jett chokes out. “She’s nuts! Help me.”

“Kier, let my sexy ass Jett go.”

Kierane growls, her eyes flashing an electric blue color, which is by no means close to her dark brown eyes, “No, bitch. Jett, you wanna tell her what you did? Or should I?”

Eyeing around the room, looking for leverage I smirk at the blackboard that had last Friday’s game scores. I walk over and put my nails on it. “Let him go first… Or I will run my nails down this chalkboard.”

She loosens her hold on Jett, and it’s enough for him to maneuver out of her vice-like grip. Unfortunately for him, she grabs a hold of the one thing she could reach in time… his hair. “You wouldn’t fucking dare.”

I raise my eyebrows, and soon enough the excruciatingly sharp sound rips through the air, “Try me bitch.”

“Fine,” she begrudgingly lets Jett go. “You fucking win, cheating asshole.”

I place my hands on my hips, taking a mom stance—ugh I hate acting like a mother.  _ This is usually her job _ . “Sit.”

“I’m not a dog, Kaylock,” Kierane glares. I shut her up by placing my hand back on the board.

“Now, I don’t care what Jett did to you—”

“The little fuck grabbed my boob when we were wrestling.”

“I don't ca—you did WHAT!?”

“It was an accident I swear! I would never touch the breasts of a female I didn’t like! Not that I don’t like Kierane. Well, not like I  _ like her _ like her. I like her, but I don’t like her or her tits. Not that there's anything wrong with her boobs—”

“You fucker!” Kierane goes to tackle Jett, but I place myself in between them.

“Chillax your titties woman,” I straddle Jett’s lap, not missing the way Kai’s face slightly sours. “This poor sexually deprived boy with the most amazing calves didn’t mean anything. He’s too much of a virgin to purposefully grab you in such a lewd way. Isn’t that right baby-boy?”

“Definitely,” Jett’s voice is unfocused and slurred. I shift to face away from him and to the others. He groans under his breath as I unintentionally grinded on him. I smirk, but—now that everything has settled down enough—a thought occurs to me.

“Just out of curiosity, Obscures work a lot like vampires right?” After Kierane nods, I continue, “And they have to be invited into homes right?”

“Where are you going with this?” Kai sighs.

“Just making sure I remembered what I was told, but I’m confused. How was I able to enter BloodStone Manor without that invitation?”

“Oh,” Jett is surprisingly calmer than I thought he was going to be. “Obscures have a 24-hour time limit when it comes to that thing. Basically you are allowed to come and go as you please until tomorrow afternoon. If the 24 hours are up and you’re outside the manor, you have to be invited back in. However, if you’re still inside then you can stay until you leave. But once you leave, you need permission again. Make sense?”

I squint my eyes and nod, but I’m still wrapping my head around everything I’ve learned today.

“Something else,” I pause, not knowing how to mention the way Kierane’s eyes flashed blue. 

Apparently I took too long, because Jett bounced his leg to regain my attention. “Something else…?”

“Well, I don’t know if I'm going crazy, but I could’ve sworn Kierane’s eyes turned a different color.”

Kierane chuckles, “Don’t worry, you’re not going insane. They were an electric blue, right? That’s because each pack has their own distinct eye color. That’s what our eyes look like when we shift, or feel angry, or just feel super strong emotions in general. Honestly, it’s not that important. But wait—I’m curious—what did the Vampiric Conclave want with you?”

“Well, apparently I killed Corbin.”


	9. Pack Mentality

**FLASHBACK**

✤ ✤ ✤

_ February 26th when Kierane is fourteen. _

Kierane looks at the three children silently sitting on the grass in front of her. Everyone is confined to their own thoughts as they await the first transformation of the six-year-olds. With there still being an hour until the full moon reaches its peak, said six-year-olds squirm anxiously—they had heard all the stories, and they knew how painful it was going to be for them. 

Kierane is with two other older kids—both of whom have helped out with previous turnings, while this is her first time. She rubs her upper arms, and shoots an unsteady smile at the boy she will be guiding through the change. She knows all too well what the fear coursing through the younger child is like, and she crouches next to him to grab his shaking hands.

“After this,” her eyes soften. “It won’t be as painful. And I promise I’ll be here the entire time, okay?”

She was able to reach the boy, but she can tell that he is still afraid. She stands back up and turns away with flushed cheeks.  _ I have no idea what I’m doing. _

Just then, she hears Jett coming toward the clearing, and she runs over to where he is in order to stop him.

“What are you doing here?”

He attempts to maneuver around her, but she is able to successfully block him. “I want to help Noah.”

“Noah is fine. I’ll be there with him the entire time.”

“He’s my brother!” Jett manages to make it around Kierane, but she grabs ahold of his sleeve and yanks him back. 

“Jett,” she smacks his head. “You know you’re not allowed. You can help next year, and when your baby sister is old enough, you can be here with her.”

Jett pouts, kicking the dirt. “This isn’t fair.”

“Go home. You’re going to be in serious trouble if Alpha Nalani sees you. I have to get back, it’s almost time.”

Jett doesn’t have time to argue because Kierane had already left him in the forest. She heads back over to Noah, who seems grateful for her return. His relief is cut short as the full moon reaches its apex. 

Kierane’s eyes widen when she sees Noah’s bones begin to shift from underneath his skin. She can’t believe she had undergone that herself. Her hands instinctively go to cover her mouth, and she takes a step backward, bumping into someone as she does so.

Kai places his hand on her shoulder. She knows that he’s only there to shadow his mother and oversee the process as part of his Alpha training. Kierane takes a deep breath and plants herself firmly in front of Noah. She still winces at the screams echoing through the area, but she doesn’t back down—not even when Noah’s legs cave, and his bones crack to morph into the wolf’s hind legs. His head falls forward as he catches himself with his hands. He shakes his head as whines fall from his lips.  _ He’s trying to hold it back,  _ she realizes.

Kierane rushes forward, “Let it happen. It’ll only hurt more if you don’t relax.” 

Noah lets out an agonizing wail, fur beginning to grow and his nails twisting into claws. He grits his teeth, which have sharpened into fangs, and his face rearranges it’s structure into that of a wolf. His jaw lengthens, and a tail rips through the small of his back.

“It’s almost over. You’re going to be fine,” she attempts to reassure him. She bites her inner cheek.  _ I feel so useless. I hate that there’s nothing else I can do. _

Although it’s only been five minutes at most, she will be haunted by this moment for much longer. The newly turned Lunars whimper at the dull pain that lingers after they have fully transformed. They test out their new bodies, and soon enough excitement takes root.

Kierane can’t help but laugh at the pups wrestling with each other. They roll into one another. Two of them accidentally collided when they were jumping. Kai taps her shoulder, and Kierane nods as she changes into her wolf.

As per tradition, Alpha Nalani, who is followed closely by Kai, leads the pups in their first run. They take off into the night. Kierane howls along with the others. Moments like these with her pack made her feel free. Nothing could compare.

✤ ✤ ✤

_ Kai’s 21st birthday. _

All the inhabitants of BloodStone Manor gather in front of the Core at dawn. The sun has barely begun to appear in the distance. The elders of the pack are clothed in large black cloaks, giving a very cult-like atmosphere, and the children watch silently from their spot in the corner. The teens are lined up like lambs to the slaughter in front of a table lined with black candles and metallic chalices embellished with rubies. Near the center of the group are Kierane and Jett, and the latter can’t help but stare at the crimson liquid that stains the white lace tablecloth as it sloshes out of the bowl in the center.

Kierane looks around for her friend Kai—because if anyone knows what’s going on, it would be him—but the male is nowhere to be seen. She nudges Jett, “Do you know why we’re here?”

“If I did,” Jett glances at the black cloaks. “I wouldn’t be standing here like a goddamn vertical asymptote, now would I?”

She snorts, “Really? Math analogies? That’s what you’ve resigned to?”

He laughs at his own joke, “Okay, but it was pretty good.”

“Not rea—” She cuts herself off when Alpha Nalani and Crescent Rhys appear in pure white cloaks.  _ How the fuck are those not dirty? _

They step aside to reveal the birthday boy, Kai, who is dressed nicely in a monochrome burgundy outfit. His mother told him to put on a white button down, but he put a long sleeve pullover on top of it. Kierane chuckles,  _ Damn, Verity would die if she were here. I should take a picture for her. _

Kai’s eyes are steely as he approaches the table. His parents join him on either side. Alpha Nalani clears her throat, “We, as a pack, have gathered here today to witness Kai, my one and only son, take his rightful place and succeed me as the Pack Alpha of BloodStone. My mate Rhys and I have led BloodStone for centuries, and although Kai will be one of the youngest Alphas ever to rise to power, I have no doubt that he will drive the pack to greater heights than we ever could. He has been training everyday for this exact moment, and now he will choose his two Syzygies from the eligible youth lined up before us. After the ritual has commenced, our goddess Luna will appoint which will be the Perigee, who will be gifted with premonitions over the present from a first person perspective, and which will be the Apogee, who will be gifted with premonitions over the present from a third person perspective. Kai will take my power over the future.”

The alpha’s mate, Crescent Rhys, turns to his son, “Kai, choose your first Syzygy.”

Kai surveys the worthy betas in front of him and is glad to see that his two friends have met the requirements. He knows that his parents were insanely picky about the process. What Kai didn’t know was just how arduous the qualifications were. The only easy part was that they must be a beta who has helped with the First Turnings. A week ago, they held a contest to measure the max weight each wolf could carry and the max speed they could run. They used these numbers to see who was capable enough. The males should be able to bench press 515 lbs, the females must be able to lift 485 lbs, and all of them should be able to reach a maximum speed of 40 mph.

“Jettison Havenbrooke, step forward,” Kai commands. 

Kierane glares at the Alpha-to-be when they lock gazes.  _ That fucker… I am his closest friend.  _

Jett gives Kierane a smug smile and joins the almost Alpha. Kai explains his choice, “He has shown great compassion and willingness to learn anything he sets his mind to. Although his mind constantly seems to be in the clouds, his ingenuity is unparalleled. He may be slow on the uptake, but it’s only due to his ability to rationalize his situations.”

Jett’s boyish grin is contradicted by the sprinkling pink that dusts his nose.

“Great choice,” Crescent Rhys interjects. “He is remarkably light on his feet, maxing out at 49 mph—the fastest out of everyone—and he bench pressed the average 521 lbs. Regardless… let's move on. Now, your second Syzygy.”

Kai spends more time thinking about his decision this time. He doesn’t once look at Kierane, and, although she would never admit it to anyone—ever, she was worried that he wouldn’t choose her. He sets his eyes on a different person as he talks, and she begins to feel betrayal creeping through her skin.

“For my second Syzygy, I would like,” he shifts his eyes to make eye contact with hers, “Kierane Lyell to step forward. It only seems natural that I choose my closest friend from childhood. She has stuck with me through every single ludicrous idea that has crossed my mind, from the tender age of 7, when I arrogantly challenged a bear, to more recently, when I decided to sneak into the forest late at night, looking for a wild boar to ride. However, our friendship is not my only reason for choosing her. Kierane is the most determined person I’ve ever met, and though I’m aware that we will butt heads in the future, I know I will be able to rely on her power and assertiveness.”

Alpha Nalani nods approvingly as her husband responds, “Kierane was the strongest candidate. While she reached a max speed of 43 mph, she was able to bench press 567 lbs. For someone of her stature, it definitely dropped some jaws, but that just goes to show that you can’t judge by appearance.”

Kierane steps out from the line and skirts past Jett to get to the other side of Kai. As she passes by, she sends him a mental thought,  _ ‘I can’t believe you made me think I wasn’t going to be chosen. You just signed your death warrant.’ _

Alpha Nalani claps her hands together, her eyes making little smiles, “Now, following tradition, you three will enter a binding pact in which you will exchange blood by slitting your palms with the ceremonial silver knife. You will then clasp your hands together like brethren. This is a sacred ritual as old as the first Lunars that graced this earth.”

The trio exchange distraught glances.  _ Silver! Do we really have to do this? _ Jett especially is squeamish around blood—well, only when it’s coming from his body.

A few moments tick past before the palpable tension is cut by Alpha Nalani and Crescent Rhys laughing. The Alpha has tears streaming down her face as she points at her son, “The look on your face!”

“Son, relax,” the Crescent grips Kai’s shoulder. “We’re kidding.”

The elders take off their cloaks to show hidden party poppers and noise makers. Streamers cover the trio as they are frozen in surprise. One of the elders cheers, “Happy Birthday!”

The sun has broken through the tops of the trees. Jett turns to the questionable liquid in the bowl, “So this isn’t blood?”

“Nope,” Alpha Nalani pours some of said liquid into a chalice and takes a sip, “It’s cranberry juice, but we masked its scent to throw you off.”

“Are you ready to receive your powers?” 

The trio nods, and the former Apogee comes forward with three stamps and a special ink, “Kai will represent the earth, which symbolizes the dependability the pack places on him. He will be tasked with grounding the pack as one entity and uniting them under his leadership. Jett represents the sun in all its brilliance and ability to shed light on potential darkness that could drag the pack down. His passion will be the energy that supports Kai. Kierane, like the moon, will protect the pack when shadows overtake our leader. She is the guardian that will immortalize our pack as it is reborn under a new Alpha. Please choose the location in which you will receive your blessing.”

Kai points to his collarbone, Jett presents his forearm, and Kierane tells them to place it on the outer part of her upper arm. Alpha Nalani and the past Syzygies mark the trio with the sun, moon, and earth.

Immediately, they are ripped from the mortal world into their own separate premonitions. Kai is overwhelmed by the images racing past him, but his head begins to spin when everything stills into a city bathed in vibrant lights. 

_ The people bumping into his shoulders are blurry. Their faces flash in and out. The crowd frantically tosses him to the ground. His left hand meets the concrete, but the impact of his right hand is softened by whatever it was that he landed on. Amongst the indistinct figures around him, Kai focuses on the young girl who could be no older than 7. Her hair is in ribbons, and her clothes bear the crest of her school. He recoils from her cold body, only to back into another one. Rushing to his feet, he follows the crowd of people fleeing from something.  _

_ The crowd silences and Kai is instantly shrouded in darkness. When his surroundings focus again, he startles as he stumbles out of an elevator. A voice is heard, for the first time, and it echoes out from the terror surrounding him. “Please don’t do this.”  _

_ The voice says something else, but it comes out muffled and distorted. A cold shiver runs up his arms and pierces his heart when he hears, “There’s nothing you can do anymore. You have to kill it.” _

_ He jumps to his feet and his head whips around to look at the source, but he stumbles into a pitch black void before he can clearly identify their faces. He clutches his head as the haunting words repeat over and over again until they become incoherent. _

_ “... Kill it.”  _

Kai blinks as the whisper fades into the wind that brushes the hair on the back of his neck. He’s back in the clearing. The scrambled hisses once pulling at his mind are replaced by the laughs of his family as they converse the newest Lunar gossip. He notices that he’s not the only one out of sorts with a glaring headache. Both Kierane and Jett mumble to themselves, swaying as they come back to reality. Kai only vaguely catches a couple of their words, but nothing stands out blatantly as vital information. Still reeling from the effects of what feels like the backlash of a morning hangover, he asks the other two about their newfound powers.

“Perigee. Dude, I think I was a guy,” Kierane groans.

“I was the other one… the third-person one,” Jett blows a stray strand of hair out of his eyes.

“You’re Mr. Future, Kai. What’d you see?” Kierane asks as she smacks Jett’s arm away from touching the cranberry juice. Everyone had dispersed to enjoy the festivities… or more logically, go to sleep again.

Kai tried to decipher his premonition, but the only thing that he knew for certain was the impending sense of dread that lingered heavily on his shoulders. “Oh you know just this and that. Nothing important.”

“Bruh,” Jett throws his arm over both his friends shoulders, accidentally headbutting Kai, “Since you are legal. I need  grenadine , coconut rum, pineapple-orange juice, and maraschino cherries. Stat. It’s time for Malibu Sunsets!”

“Jett… no.”


	10. Something Wicked. . .

**VERITY**

“Corbin. As in the guy who turned you? You killed him?” 

“No you dumbass,” I seethe at Kai. “I didn’t kill him. I wouldn’t do that. I was looking for him.”

“You wouldn’t kill someone?” His unforgiving tone makes me clench my jaw. “You already killed someone. Or did you forget? You might have killed Corbin as well during your fun little escapade. You may not have been the type to kill people before you turned, but you have no idea what you are capable of now.”

“What the hell, Kai!? You can’t just say shit like that! And Jesus Christ, maybe have a little tact for once in your goddamn life!”

Tears form in my eyes, but I can’t bring myself to say anything back because it was true. Everything he said was true, and I hate that it came from him. I pull myself off Jett’s lap and stand away from everyone else. His eyes never leave me. Soon enough I can’t stand it.

“I’m going to prove that I’m innocent. I don’t need this right now.”

Every fiber of my being is telling me to leave the room—that I can do this on my own and I don’t need their help. But a deep hidden part of me is upset that Kai thinks I am capable of doing something like that. That part of me that wants Kai’s approval coaxes me into leaving the manor without saying anything else.

“That was uncalled for,” Jett looks disappointed at his Alpha. 

I don’t see Kierane stand, but knowing my friend, she’s following me. “You got that right… Jesus Christ. I’m leaving. I’ll come back when you decide to be less of a dickhead to my best friend.”

I wait outside the car, looking up at the moon. I used to think it was so pretty, but now… now it’s just a reminder of everything that’s changed. The fact that I can no longer see the sun in anything but pictures kills me inside. I tsk as I turn away from the crescent that seems to be mocking me with its smile. Kierane joins me to lean on the hood. She’s silent, and I realize it’s because a tear had slipped from my eye. I wipe it away quickly and throw her a smile.

“Kai is a meanie-pants.”

“Yeah,” she scoffs. “No kidding. You okay though?”

“Yup,” but, like always, she’s able to pull the truth from me. “Actually, no. Why does he hate me? I just want him to like me, as much as I like him.”

“He doesn’t hate you. He just… still has trouble knowing how people work. As for the liking part… I don’t think the dude has ever liked anyone before. Why does it matter so much to you?”

I groan in frustration, slapping my hands over my face as if I were shielding myself from the world, “It just does! I know what you think. You think I just like to look at him. You think I don’t see the look on your face whenever I talk about any guy, but I do. Do you even know why I always flirt with other guys? It’s because I can’t get the one guy I actually like, and it’s frustrating because he hates me. He always has, and—”

In a flash, Kierane is pulling me into a tight hug that stuns me. The words on my lips die, as she , “Oh, Verity. Love. I’m so sorry. I really didn’t realize he meant that much to you. If you want me to, I can talk to him for you… or I can kick his ass and make him behave?”

“It’s fine,” I open the car door to the driver’s seat. “I have to focus on finding out what happened when Corbin died. I have to go now. I don’t know how long it'll take me, so can you make copies of the notes I miss? Most likely, I will not be in class—that’ll just slow me down. I mean, if I can’t find anything that saves my ass, the Vampiric Conclave will probably kill me. So learning isn’t important. I promise I’ll try to come back alive.”

“Oh shit, dude. But like also what the fuck? I’m helping you. Whether you want it or not. You’re not doing this without me.”

“Kierane,” I try to warn her with that one word, but her stance is assertive. “Something big is happening. I have a feeling, and I know your instincts are always right, but I can tell that this is bigger than me and you. You can’t help me this time. It’s too dangerous. You’ll get hur—”

Kierane pushes herself off the hood, shoves me out of the way, and takes the car keys from my hands, “Exsqueeze me. I love how you’re trying to protect me, but I’ve been doing this for a lot longer than you have. And Verity? Do you honestly think that I’m gonna ignore 11 years of friendship and let you do this on your own? Besides, you suck at driving. Get your ass in the passenger’s seat.”

“This is my car!” I can’t help, but laugh. I’m so glad that Kierane is so fucking stubborn—even if it’s a bother somethimes.

“Doesn’t mean you suck any less. Where are we going first?”

“Bennington, Vermont. Before I left, Proxy Ellanora pulled me aside and told me where they found the body.”

. . .

Nearly four hours of torture later, at 1:43 am, we finally reached our destination. The entire ride consisted of Kierane chugging Starbucks coffee like it was water, music on the highest volume possible, and enduring Kierane’s punches when I hit potholes during my turn to drive. I forgot that she needed to sleep, because I never feel tired anymore… inferior mortal.

“Wake up,” I tap her shoulder as I part near the river. The road is pretty empty. The last car I saw was an hour ago. No wonder the killer chose this location. The sound of rushing water clears my mind once I open the door—a flash of that night floods my senses. I stagger back against the car. It reminds of how the blood sounded that night.

“Wuzzgoinon?” Kierane’s voice snaps me from my daze.

I clear my throat, “We’re here. I need you to use that hypersensitive nose of yours.”

It’s as if I threw her into the river. She sobers up insanely fast, and heads to look at the river. “Was this where they found the body?”

I tilt my head at her confusion, “ Yeah, he was found right at the edge of the water.”

“Really? Because this wasn’t where he was killed.” With that she bolts up the river.  _ Fuck, it’s highschool gym all over again. _ Somehow, I find it much easier to keep pace with her this time. She’s definitely slowing herself down. She stops, but I run into her back.

“A little warning next—” I stop when I see the blood stained grass.  _ How the fuck has no one else noticed this? Humans are so fucking dumb. _

“You were a human literally two days ago,” Kierane looks at me.

“How did you know I was thinking that? Don't tell me werewolves can read minds?”

“Well, technically my pack and I can share thoughts with each other and communicate within a set radius. But no, I just know you, and what you think.”

“You can’t blame me. This is a lot of blood.” I lean down to look at the ground. As disgusting as it looks, I can’t help but realize that I want more blood. I haven’t eaten in a few days, how long until I go into bloodlust again?”

“Yeah, it is. He was actually killed here. The stench of his death is much stronger. And he struggled. A lot. He made that obvious by the grass that was ripped out of the ground and the fact that the blood isn’t centered in one location—it’s scattered. ”

“Is there another person’s blood? I think there’s a little bit of the killer’s blood here too.”

“Yesh. The scent leads to the edge of the cliff. Both scents, actually. Meaning that Corbin was probably pushed off the cliff. But he was dead before he hit the wate—what the fuck are you doing?”

I slid down the ledge hoping to get closer to the riverbank so I can follow Corbin’s path. I have no idea what compelled me to do this—I don’t even know what I’m looking for. Gaining speed I couldn’t stop myself from hitting the icy cold water, “Ah! Fuck!”

“Dumbass!”

I scrape my arm on a rock, and I grab it to try to stop myself from being taken by the river. The rock shifts under the force of the water, and comes loose. I hold onto it, as I’m taken by the current. I hear Kierane scream in frustration, hopefully she is trying to help me and isn't planning on letting me pay for my stupid actions. 

I reach up and grab a hold of the branch that Kierane had found. Thank god she is going to save me.  _ Wait, is she even strong enough to lift me out of the water by herself? _ I had nothing to worry about, as I feel myself being dragged out.  _ Bitch is strong. _

“What the actual fuck were you thinking?”

“Obviously I was thinking that this shitty rock would be my knight in shining armor,” I raise my arm to throw it, but Kierane catches my arm.

“That’s not a rock.”

I finally look at the idiotic object in my hand. It’s a smooth fluorite orb. It has dark purple, white, and forest green layers—it’s so pretty. How the fuck did I think this was a rock? “What is it?”

“A clue.”

“You don’t even know if it has anything to do with Corbin.”

“It does,” Kierane’s strangely alert. She quickly shushes me, and hids the orb in her pocket. At a normal volume she says, “Well, this was a bust. Let’s go back home.”

“But—”

“Come on. I’ll race you.” She breaks out into a sprint, and I follow in suit.

“What are you doing? You’re acting strange.”

“Someone was there. They were watching us. So from now on, anything we need to discuss can be discussed in the safety of our car.”

I nod, and slow down slightly as we reach the Toyota. “There’s no way he can run as fast as you. I can barely keep up.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get faster. I mean, you’ll never be faster than Jett or Kai.”

We make it inside the car, and she instantly puts us back on the road going home. She’s silent and unresponsive for the first 30 minutes. 

“Sorry for rushing you, but I had a feeling that we had to get out of there. Y’know. Instincts and all.”

“Thank you for helping me. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help.”

“Don’t thank me yet, I’m taking you to one of your least favorite places. The library.”

She looks at me when I don’t respond. I know she can see the solemn look across my features. I make no move to hide my expressions—it’s Kierane. She’ll always understand me.

“What’s up?”

“I was just thinking about what would happen if I was here by myself.”

“What do you think it would be like?”

“I’m useless on my own. I would’ve driven all the way here confined to my thoughts. Then I wouldn’t know where to bring, much less thought that he was killed up the river. I guess, without your help I would be idly waiting for the Conclave to conclude that I am guilty.”

“You’re not useless. You never were. Sure, maybe I noticed a bunch of stuff, but so did you. You’re vampire enough to differentiate between blood types. And don’t forget: you were the one who found the orb.”

“Kierane,” I look at her with my heart on my sleeve, and pain clear in my eyes. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be. I’m here. We’re in this together. Like always.”

“I don't want to be alone.”

“You don’t have to. I’m not ever going to leave your side.”


	11. ...This Way Comes

**VERITY**

Kierane is out as soon as her head falls onto her fluffy white pillow upon returning to our apartment. I let her sleep throughout the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon. It’s the least I could do after dragging her into my mess. To occupy my time, I try to find a safe place to keep the golf-ball sized piece of fluorite. If it turns out to be important, I want it to be near me at all times. After some debating, I decide to utilize the jewelry making skills that I picked up from my aunt. I fashion a wire cage to contain the sphere and turn it into an obnoxiously large pendant. The wires twist into a circle to create a base, cross over the orb a few times, and then finally come together to loop intricately at the top. I find a relatively long chain to feed through the hook, and I clasp it behind my neck. It’s surprisingly light for its size.  _ Not bad. _

Kierane still isn’t awake. It’s been 10 hours! It’s already 4:00.  _ If we’re going to go to the library before it closes, while having time to actually do whatever she plans to do, she needs to get out of bed. But how should I wake up my aggressive best friend? _ The wrong choice equals a slap to the face and a dangerously vexed Kierane. I've been around her for long enough to know that she doesn’t react well to being woken up. Alas, it must be done for the sake of my future. Hopefully, she doesn’t crush me and my future with her unbridled, recently awoken fury. Before I make an idiotic mistake, a beyond brilliant idea entered my mind.

I quickly go work making Kierane’s favorite food: giant chocolate chip muffins with oranges on the side. It’s easy enough to whisk all the ingredients together, but somewhere along the way flour ended up all over my face and clothes. Making breakfast for my incompetent cook of a friend is just the thing I need to regain control over my feelings. Our tiny apartment is overtaken by the scent of freshly baked muffins. Just as I finish plating the oranges in an aesthetic flower, I hear the thud of a dumbass falling out of her bed onto the unforgiving floor. I bet she’s tangled in her fluffy grey sheets with her left leg—the only thing free from its confines because she is always only partially in the blankets—half hanging from the edge. I giggle as I move all the plates from the kitchen to the counter in front of stools. 

“Is this heaven?” she questions while emerging from the depths of slumber with a stretch. “Goddamn, Ver! That smells amazing! ”

I take in the strands of hair that stick out of her hair as if she rubbed a balloon on it. She is rubbing her eyes. I purse my lips at how casual she seems. Jealousy simmers inside of me at the notion that Kierane can seamlessly blend into human society when she wasn’t even born as one. I don’t think I can do that anymore.  _ Why is it that I only ever feel normal when Kierane isn’t around? _

“Enjoy.” It’s silent all of breakfast. She’s so engrossed in scarfing down muffin after muffin that she doesn’t even notice that the silence is anything but pleasant. I nibble on an orange. The sharp citrus is duller than it should be—than it used to be—but it’s nice to taste something other than blood. 

. . . 

Kierane drags me to the library after we get ready, but I have no idea what we are going to find here. I’m here often enough that I know that there is nothing about secret societies—that is—until Kierane pulls me into a hidden room that I never knew existed. The dust is appalling. It’s everywhere. The only things in the room are two bookshelves and the books that sit neatly on them. She walks over to one of them.

“I’ll check out this shelf. You take that one,” she points to one that looks like it’s about to fall over. The books seem to be the same height, and they’re all leather bound. The only difference is the color of the bindings. 

“What am I looking for?”

“Anything that sticks out to you,” Looking at the uniform books, I furrow my eyebrows. “Just trust yourself.”

I bite back a retort, and run my fingers along the bindings. The covers are fading to a grey, and the corners are starting to come apart. The colors are vivid, ranging from green to purple, but obviously they have seen better days. I’m almost done skimming the entire shelf when I see a few volumes that stick out more than the others. I kneel down, and pull four of them out. Pressed to the back of the shelf is a small mahogany book, with silver accents interlacing like vines, and gold coils twisting their way up the spine. I pick up the book and walk out of the room to sit at a table. Once I’m at a table far enough from wandering eyes, I can’t help but stare at the book. For whatever reason, I don’t open it.

“Why did you leave so abruptly without telling me?”

I ignore her question in favor of standing up to grab several random books in order to make it seem like we’re studying. Once a decent pile is formed on the table, I crack a few of the books open and sit back down next to Kierane, who gazes at me questioningly. 

“What is that?”

“A book.”

“No shit it’s a book. I meant what’s it about?”

“I haven’t opened it.”

“Well,” she leans back into the chair. I hesitantly open to the first page. As I skim the book, I realize that most of it is in a language I can’t recognize. The pictures help get the gist across. 

“A book about Enchants.” Kierane is the first one to put the pieces together, but I don’t understand why she’s so amazed. Luckily I don’t have to ask because she carries on, “I thought all of them were destroyed.”

“You mean there are no other books about Enchants, and you guys haven’t seen one in years. How do you know these people even exist?”

“We don’t, but I don’t think our ancestors would lie to us.”

After scrolling through the book some more, I stop at a drawing that piques my interest. I look at my necklace and notice that the drawing had multiple orbs and jewels on it. I try to look at the script, but I’ve never seen characters like this before. It’s composed of circles, dots, and curves. Honestly, it’s a gorgeous text, but I can’t find anything that I can read.  _ How old is this book? _

My groan of frustration as I lean onto the table to clasp my hands onto my head is enough to snap Kierane out of the daze she’s been in since she discovered the rarity of the book. She peers over my arm to look at the page.

“Oh I know a bit of this language,” she offhandedly remarks. 

“What?”

“Well,” she flushes in embarrassment. “I don’t know all of it—just some words here and there. It’s an ancient Enchant language that—”

“Let me guess. That you haven’t seen in forever. God you guys know nothing.”

“I know that it’s called Enavari.” She points to a word, “And I know that means source.”

I gape at her, “You’re smart?”

The blush on her cheeks worsens, “I’m smarter than you.”

“Okay, Sherlock,” I roll my eyes. “How does the word ‘source’ help us?”

She shrugs, “A few more words I can identify are power, and obviously that means enchantment.”

“Yeah… of course I know that those swirls means magic. It’s completely obvious,” I deadpan.  _ Wait a minute— _ I slap Kierane’s arm several times in excitement.

“Jesus Christ… what?”

“Do you know what this means?” 

“Well, yeah. I just told you.”

“Not that. I think these ornaments are the ‘source’ of an Enchant’s magic. What if they use it to channel their powers like Harry Potter’s wand? It looks like it can be anything from a gemstone to just glass.” I take the fluorite pendant off my neck to look at it better. “If this was found at the murder site, I suppose the killer was an Enchant. But if it harnesses their magical abilities, how did they lose it?”

“Wait. What if they didn’t lose it? What if they didn’t realize that it was missing?”

“Like they lost it? Are Enchants really that stupid that they would lose something so valuable. Imagine the look of absurdity on their face when they realized they fucked up. Are they powerless now? Have they even realized that I have their—”

She quickly smacked a hand over my mouth and hushed me. “Wait. Dude. Shut up for a second. Someone’s coming.”

I pry her hand off my face. “Why would someone come to this part of the library? It’s always abandoned.”

She goes to respond, but is cut off by a voice I never thought I’d hear again. A person that I would set on fire if I could.

“Uh, are you still using that book? I need it for an anatomy essay.”


	12. Bittersweet Encounters and Vanilla Crushes

**KIERANE**

A soothing spearmint sweeps over me when Alexandria— _ oh wait, last week she told me that she ‘would love it’ if I called her Alex _ —arrives at the table that Verity and I are sitting at. Her scent is one that I’m all too familiar with. One that I’ve recently begun to look forward to. The tranquility is quickly frozen by Verity’s ice-cold manner, and the atmosphere strains as she refuses to acknowledge the new arrival.  _ I didn’t think Ver even knew her. _

“Hey, Alex. Which book?” I attempt to break the tension, but my efforts are in vain.

She awkwardly shifts her weight back and forth as she debates whether or not to come closer to Verity. In the end, she begins to walk over when— _ SNAP. _

Verity forcefully closes the priceless book in her hands with a blank expression on her features. I’ve never seen her act so aggressive. She discreetly drops the book into her large white purse. 

Alex passes by me to go around the other side of the table. She brushes her arm against my shoulder, and I have to stop myself from flinching in shock. I watch her as she picks up the book she needs, but I’m not prepared when her eyes lock with mine. On instinct, I quickly glance away, opting to watch Verity strum her fingers impatiently instead.

“So, is that—” I have to clear my throat. “Is that all you needed?”

Her long eyelashes flutter over her blue eyes, the corners crinkling ever-so-slightly as her lips quirk into a smile. The left side raises a bit higher than the right side. “Uh… while I’m here. Maybe...”

I see the certainty inside of her strengthen as she stands up straighter. She leans over the books, and I feel myself mimic her to slightly lean toward her. I ignore the revulsion on Verity’s lips as her nose faintly crinkles when Alex speaks, “Maybe you can help me with our chemistry homework?”

  
  


I almost lose the question she had asked when her head tilts to the right. Her eyes widen almost as largely as Verity’s usually are as she waits expectantly. My heart flutters, “I don—.”

“She’s busy, Alexandria,” I’m taken aback by Verity's blade-like temper. Her face is impassive, but the fire hidden behind her eyes is chilling.

_ Tch. _

I go to apologize to Alex, but her eyes are cast down in…  _ is that shame?  _

Verity crosses her arms. “You should leave.”

“Verity,” I seethe, but it’s too late. The damage she caused has already been dealt. Her tone is that of a French monarch sentencing a traitor to the guillotine for their crimes against the royal crown. Alex drops her head and rushes to leave, but as I grab her arm attempting to stop her, a spark of static electricity tingles up my hand and causes me to drop my grip. Alex turns around and I’m floored by the french vanilla that invades my senses. The contrast of the warm sugar and her natural refreshing mint scent elicits a cool and comfortable feeling that passes over me—a surprisingly serene ambience when compared to Verity’s frostiness. But all too soon, it’s gone.

“You almost left this,” I take her hand which causes a fire to flicker in my heart once again. I place the thick anatomy & physiology textbook in her hand. The same smile as before adorns her face, and I give her one too in turn. She brushes her hair back behind her ear and over her shoulder when she leaves. I don’t know if my senses are still in a daze, but her scent lingers around me.

Verity kicks my shin as she groans, “I can’t believe I just had to watch you go all googly-eyes over Alexandria fucking Thornton’s two-faced bitchass.”

No matter how content Alex’s presence made me, all I feel now is annoyance as I round on Verity. “What the hell, Ver? What was that all about?”

“You’re asking me that? What the fuck are you doing fraternizing with the enemy? She’s a snake.”

“The enemy? What are you talking about?”

She goes silent, and begins to put the random books she grabbed away. Her words come out as a mumble, “Nevermind. Just don’t do it again in front of me, okay?”

“Can I get a reason? Dude, if you really have that big of an issue with her, I’ll stop talking to her. The last time I saw you act like that was with Aida—”

“We agreed that name was forbidden. It’s Voldemort now.”

“—in junior year of high-school.”

She stops in the middle of shoving a book about birds back into a shelf clearly meant for architecture, “It’s not a big deal. I don’t care who you hang out with.”

“Okay,” I grab her shoulder and shove her back in irritation. Verity always does this, but I’m not going to drop the subject this time. “You have to stop fucking doing that. You are literally the most important person in my life, so your opinion obviously matters to me. Stop acting like a piece of shit, because I know that’s not actually who you are. You say you don’t want to be alone and then you push me away. Stop thinking that you have to do this by yourself. Can’t you see that I’m always gonna be here?”

Her lips part slightly, and a sheer disbelief is apparent in her eyes.

I raise my eyebrows, and she shakes her head in an attempt to come back to awareness. Her voice is shaky in her confusion, “Do you remember how I came to school in the middle of 3rd grade?”

I think back to the first time I ever met Verity.  _ Wow, she changed so much… She used to be so soft-spoken. _

“How could I ever forget? My life changed that day.”

“I wasn’t exactly honest about why I moved.”

“What do you mean?”

She swallows harshly, and I can tell that she’s organizing her thoughts, “Before I moved to Horizon Elementary, I attended Silverside, which was a few cities away. The people were—for the most part—cool, and the teachers were spectacular, but I took it all for granted. I was an abrasive little mischief-maker. I loved making my friends laugh, and I considered everyone in my class to be my friend.”

I snort upon hearing this. She has to be lying because when I met her she was as silent as a China doll sitting on a grandmother’s shelf waiting to either be passed on as a family heirloom or become haunted after years of abandonment. She raises her hands to shake them, “I swear, this was my reputation.”

“Okay, okay. I almost, maybe, might, believe you.”

She places her head onto her arms, mumbling her words. “Lemme tell my story.”

She turns her head, peering out from her position. Upon seeing me usher her to continue, she picks up where she left off, “At Silverside, one of my classmates was Alexandria Thornton, but I called her Lexa at the time. Not gonna lie, she had the tendency to be a bit of a pushover. A lot of rude kids would constantly tease her for her shy nature. I barely talked to her myself—she made it nearly impossible to.

“Well, one day I think she decided to retaliate. I was the only person who saw her do it, but no one believed me. I guess I wasn’t trustworthy. Alexandria had decided to tie a large bucket of water to the classroom door—I have no idea how she got it there. I looked away for a few moments, when I turned back it was hanging above the door. I should’ve gotten an adult, but I was lowkey glad she was trying to stand up for herself. Lexa hid behind the teachers desk, and I assume she was waiting for the bullies to enter the room. And when I heard the voices of her targets coming down the hall, I quickly hid behind the lockers. 

“The problem was that they were being accompanied by our teacher. Now, our teacher looked almost 60, and she was constantly clutching her back, but I can’t remember how she injured it. Anyway, she went to open the door, and I, who knew that everything was going downhill, ran out to stop her. But I was too late. The teacher slid into the wall. Later, I was told that she severely injured her hip. I knew Lexa was behind it, but she had disappeared out the window when the teacher got hurt before anyone else saw her.

“I kept the truth to myself. Alexandria was usually a good kid, and it was an accident on her part. If she had admitted it, she would’ve probably only gotten a scolding. She wouldn’t have been hit as hard as u did, and I’ll never forgive her for throwing me under the bus. Everyone assumed I did it. That I had ‘gone too far.’ I was blamed for the incident and suspended. Alexandria sat back and let me take the fall because she was scared of being punished. I’ve disliked her ever since. I received a lot of backlash, a ton of bullying, and it was too much. Everyone was either scared of me, hated me, or ignored me. When new students came they were immediately warned against socializing with me. One of the only good things my parents have ever done for me was allow me to transfer to another school, your school.”

I think back to all the times I’ve had with Alex. She has definitely changed since then, but I understand how apprehensive Verity would be to trust her. “I—wow. I mean, I believe you, but it’s hard to imagine her doing something like that.”

“You have to stay away from her. You may think she’s nice, but good people aren’t bystanders. I don’t care how pretty you think she is. She’s two faced. And I don’t trust her with your heart.”

“I promise. I won’t go near her.”


	13. How You Doin'?

**FLASHBACK**

✤ ✤ ✤

_ February 13th in Third Grade _

Kierane lightly kicks the seat in front of her on the bus just so she can see blazing yellow and fluorescent green illuminate against the white of her sketchers. When she's finally allowed to get off the vehicle, she wraps her arms around the plush exterior of the huge light brown teddy bear. Like every month, it's show-and-tell in her classroom, and Kierane is eagerly waiting to show off Mr. Cuddles, the newest plushie in her collection. It was Jett's compensation for sacrificing one of her other bears to the wildlife in the forest, but she was still appreciative when it was presented to her last week for her birthday.

In Kierane's excitement to get to Mr. Carrole's classroom, she body-checks a petite little girl in her path. The girl doesn't topple over, or anything serious, so Kierane laughs it off in her head and walks through the door with a hasty apology. She rushes over to her seat near the front of the room, one row away from the windows, and places Mr. Cuddles gently on her desk, before skipping her way over to her other classmates. She knocks her heels together while talking to the boys that didn't have cooties. They aren't close friends, but they allow her to tag along.

Mr. Carrole silences everyone, and they all take their assigned seats. He begins reviewing the objectives of today's lessons, but Kierane tunes him out. Mr. Carrole is a really kind person, but his voice can be so dull sometimes. She leans into Mr. Cuddles and allows herself to fall into a daydream.

A knock interrupts Mr. Carrole's spiel, and the vice principal walks in the room in all her authoritative glory and sharp maroon red pantsuit. The class immediately straightens up their backs with a smile. There isn't a single student who doesn't like Ms. Holloway. She may look strict with her tight lips, long nose, and angular face shape, but she understands kids and tries to make fun school events for us.  _ I wonder why she's here? _

It's only after the brief exchange of greeting between the adults that Kierane notices the girl from the hallway hiding in the corner. Her glance is directed towards the floor, but she looks up and blushes when she notices all the eyes on her. Instantly, she curls into herself and lets her bangs fall from behind her ears to create a shield.

“Class 7-C,” Ms. Holloway urges the girl in front of her. “This is Verity Kaylock. She will be attending our school from now on. Verity, these will be your classmates. It's difficult to transfer to a new school in the middle of the year, but I know you will all be kind to her. Is there anyone here who would like to be her guide and let her know how things work over here?”

Hands shoot up all around Kierane, who honestly doesn't believe this girl and her could be friends.  _ She needs more oompfh to her personality. _ So Kierane lets one of the various boys—and some girls—argue over who should show around the newbie. She seems slightly uncomfortable with this whole situation, and her eyes flicker from the door to the windows as if debating which way she should escape from. Nevertheless, she remains silent.

The teacher directs the girl to the empty seat next to Kierane's, in the row near all the windows. When Verity was partially blocked by the adults, Kierane hadn't really been able to see anything but the gold circle glasses that took up half her face. Up close, she realizes why all of the boys wanted to show her around. They might only be 8 year olds, but there is no denying she is as cute as the girls in the Justice magazines. However, Kierane still can't get over how dry her presence is.  _ Like, come on... watching paint dry is more interesting than she is. _

Suddenly, a pencil flies past the students and lands on the teacher's desk, and everyone turns to look at the culprit: Aidan O'Gallagher. He's your a-typical idiot with stupid black hair and frosted tips. As the only kid whose parents allowed him to bleach his hair, he makes sure to tell people every day that his parents were cooler and better than anyone else's. He holds up a slingshot made from an open pair of scissors and a silly band.

The room collectively goes silent—not in shock, but in annoyance. Aidan has pulled the same troublemaker routine since the first grade when he spilled the contents of all the glue bottles on the rainbow puzzle piece carpet. What Kierane thought would be a long, drawn out ordeal was broken by a soft giggle that almost sounded like tinkling bells.

Her head whips back to the blonde girl next to her, who is covering her mouth with her hands. Upon noticing how she is once again the center of attention, she quickly mumbles an apology, but a mischievous glint twinkles in her eyes. It's gone as soon as Kierane notices it, and she can't deny how it made her want to talk to her.

_ She would make a perfect best friend—if only she had that passion all the time... What if I help her? Make her as likeable as she is pretty to stare at. _

Kierane smiles and holds out her hand, “Hi, I'm Kierane. We're going to be good friends.”  _ I hope. _

✤ ✤ ✤

_ The Last Week of Summer Before Fourth Grade _

When school was in session, Kierane made it her personal goal to entice Verity to play with her on the monkey-bars. Every school day, every lunch, every recess, and every spare moment of time was dedicated to approaching Verity and attempting to converse with her. Kierane made sure to get to her before anyone else could try and befriend her first. Being too much of a floater, Kierane never had a best friend, and she is dead set on making Verity her first. Not to mention, all her classmates laughed at her when she told them Verity had the "troublemaker glint" in her eyes. She can't wait to see everyone's faces when she proves them wrong.

Currently, Kierane sits on the stairs of the local pool, and only her eyes peer out from above the water like a hippo waiting to eat an unsuspecting human. The entire summer has been consumed with the manipulative ploys to bend Verity's will into being her best friend. Today was no different than the others. The only exception: she is unable to write her diabolic schemes into her fluffy purple diary encrusted with a sparkly 'A'.  _ Why doesn't she want to be my friend? I even gave her a giant gummy bear. What more does she want? _

A screech indicates the pool gate moving sharply against the cement. Kierane cringes, but ignores the shrill sound, figuring that it was someone entering by the direction the sound echoes. She has been to the pool often enough that the subtle distinction between entering and leaving is clear as the stark difference between a theater kid who always plays the lead and a chorus tenor who sings falsetto in the middle of the baritones. However, she pays no mind to the number or identity of the individuals that enter.

It's only when she recognizes the blonde she has been desperately trying to grab the attention of that Kierane perks up. Verity brusquely crosses Kierane's line of view, as if trying to evade her (which she is). Verity disappears around the corner where the kid's hot tub is. Slightly recoiling at the heat, she steps into the unoccupied steaming water. Her lips pull into a frown as she twiddles the necklace around her neck, and she closes her eyes, but the serenity is quickly ruined when she hears someone clear their throat. She keeps her eyes closed with the unlikely hope that they won't bother her. After the second time, Verity opens her eyes to see Kierane standing above her.

“Yes?” She asks expectantly.

“Okay, I know this is probably gonna be a waste of my breath, because for some reason you seem to hate me, but do you maybe wanna play a game?”

“I mean,” Verity crinkles her nose as she trails off. “I do like playing games. What game are you thinking about?”

Kierane beams from ear to ear. “Really!? I didn't think I'd get this far honestly. How about you choose?”

“Oh no... decisions... Well, I don't like Marco Polo all that much…”

Kierane's focus is pulled away from Verity when she sees the all too familiar face of Aidan O'Gallagher and his group of friends cackling with a likeness to the hyenas in  _ The Lion King _ . She taps Verity's upper arm, and shushes her by putting a finger to her lips. Upon seeing her questioning gaze, Kierane turns her around and points to where the group of shady boys lurk. They are huddled behind two giant potted plants, and Aidan is wearing an oversized trench coat that clearly belongs to his father, in spite of the sweltering summer day.

The boys pique Kierane's interest when they rush into the boiler room. She stumbles her way out of the water, her hair flipping over her shoulder as she goes, but falters when she realizes Verity hadn't moved an inch.

“Let's go,” she grabs Verity's wrist and yanks her out of the comforting warmth. Verity sighs, but internally she is curious too.

Cautiously, they open the door and peek their heads in. The boys must have left from the other exit, because they are nowhere to be seen. The girls step inside, the door shutting behind them. The duo look around, but they're disappointed when nothing seems out of the ordinary. They're about to leave and follow the boys when a tiny bark is heard, echoing out behind a large machine.

“Did you hear that?”

Kierane looks around the machine to find a little trembling pomeranian with an expensive looking leather collar. Verity rushes toward and picks up the puppy. Her excitement bubbles over as she tries to soothe the dog.

“His name is Oliver.” Verity squeals as he licks her cheek. Kierane scratches the dog's head and watches as his tail wiggles rapidly. She runs her hands under the dog tag, reading the name before looking at the information.

“Have you ever seen him before?”

“No, and I don't have a phone to call the number.”

The staff door opens. The girls' heads whip to look at the source, with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression. The two staff members take a second to notice them, but when they do they begin to yell at them for being where they weren't supposed to.

“Run!” Verity leaps to her feet, pulling Kierane with her while holding Oliver to her chest.

“Was that a dog?” They heard one of them ask the other as they leave through the other door.

Verity maneuvers through all the people with Kierane trailing behind her. As she pushes the pool gate open, she turns around and for the first time Kierane hears her laugh so hard she stuffs her large smile into Oliver's fur. She finally stops besides a tree and drops Kierane's wrist. They both erupt into giggles after a few seconds of silence, but they're cut off when a car honks from a distance.

“That's my mother,” Verity squints to see the Mercedes-Benz that her father bought a month ago. She gasps, “What are we supposed to do with Oliver? My mom hates dogs.”

“She hates dogs? How?”

“Really all animals. To quote my mother, ‘Verity darling, you are the closest thing to a pet your father and I ever want. Even then children are far superior to that of a pet. You can speak whatever language we teach you. Can a dog do that?’”

“Wow... well, I can take Oliver home. My family would help return him to his owner.”

Verity hands Oliver over. She goes to leave, but Kierane notices Verity clench her fists when she stops. She swiftly turns back.

“Before I go, I just wanted to say... this was the most fun I've had in a long time. We should hang out more. If you want to?”

Kierane's face shifts into a broad grin, “Are you free tomorrow?”


	14. Dark Secrets Are Born

**ALEXANDRIA**

When Verity begins to tell the story of my screw up, I retreat from my hiding place behind the shelves and leave as quietly as I possibly can. Reliving that moment is definitely not something I want to do right now—or ever. Once I’m far away enough to not draw their attention, I bolt out of the library. I look down at the textbook that Kierane gave me, and my cheeks warm up as I remember the way our hands touched. Hopefully, she didn’t notice when my powers activated, but I realize my hopes are in vain when I remember just how perceptive Lunars are. _ She probably did. Holy schnitzel… get yourself together woman. _

I make my way behind the building, and after making sure I’m alone, I quickly maneuver behind the bushes. I pull out the pencil safely tucked into my bun, my hair releasing into a braid. I look down at the seemingly ordinary object laying in my fingers. My left eyebrow quirks up ever so slightly as I will the pencil to take its true form. The shape twists and elongates into a light red staff. Sparks of electricity shoot up and down the wood—joining at the top before bursting. In its place is an opal, which catches the light to reflect shades of teal and lilac.

I tap my vinulveriac against the brick wall that surrounds the campus. A dark oak door forms. I turn the knob and step through. My body tingles as I transport into the Coven. I’m about to leave the door behind when I’m stopped by the only two friends I have.

“How many times do we have to remind you,” Evelyn Delvaux begins.

Zephyr, the older twin brother of Evelyn, continues from his place against the wall, “You have to get rid of the door, numbskull.” He pushes himself up, and tightens the ponytail holding his long, waist length, red hair. He joins his sister to stand in front of me.

“Eve, Zef, nice to see you too.”

“We can’t keep covering for you.” He taps the door with his fist and it disappears. “You know, Lady Theophilia isn’t happy with you.”

“What do you mean? I haven’t done anything?”

“Alexandria,” Evelyn narrows her eyes at me, making her seem more intimidating than she already was. “You haven’t been back in a long time. I think the last time you checked in was a month ago.”

“You’ve been slacking,” Zephyr shifts his weight to lean on one of his hips, popping his leg oh-so-sassily. His head dramatically tilts making him look more feminine. “And I can’t help but wonder if it’s because a certain girl has taken up all your time.”

Instantly, my nose flares and I choke out, “Who? What? That’s not—that’s not it at all. I’ve been busy thinking about—”

“Kierane Lyell?” Evelyn grabs her left pigtail and bites into the long, aqua blue strand in order to contain a smile. 

Masking the haze that forms when Kierane comes to mind, I shake away the image of the two tiny dimples in her cheeks when she laughs. I make my voice sound as empty as I possibly can, and hope to trick my two friends. “Anatomy. I’ve been busy with anatomy.”

The twins side-eye at each other and snicker. In sync they say, “Sure, babe. Sure.”

Zephyr comes close to me and whispers, “If you are thinking about pursuing whatever it is you’re thinking about, be careful. She’s a Lunar.”

“She can’t find out about what you are,” Evelyn states before Zephyr begins walking down one of the corridors. 

“So, what made you return to our humble Coven?” He asks as we follow. Evelyn works her way to the other side of him, and once again he’s the leader of our trio.

“An obscure was killed.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, the news spread through the other societies. They think it was another Obscure that killed him.”   
  


“If that’s the case, then why are you here?” Evelyn peeks around Zephyr to look at me. We finally reached the populated corridors, and I know that I can’t say anything here, so I persuade them to drop the subject until we make it to our private training room. Once we enter said training room, I sent my staff against a table with various vials of rare ingredients. The weight of my staff knocking against the cabinets causes a cauldron of ugly olive green liquid to slosh onto the table. 

“Careful! I’m not done with that!” Eve rushes to her potion to make sure none of it spilled.

“Are you dabbling again?”

Zephyr turns his nose up at the situation, “If you mean driving me insane with her constant pestering, then yes. It’s all ‘Try this, bro! Don’t worry, it won’t kill you… maybe.’”

Eve whines, “This is good potion I swear! If I make it right, it should help Alexandria see what we see.”

“You mean I’ll finally be able to see auras?” My eyes widen drastically, and my jaw drops. 

"Wow, sis. You’re finally doing something worthwhile with your life. How close are you?"

“About that… theoretically it should be a silver color.”

Zephyr immediately begins to bark out laughter. He doubles over, “Oh, man. Alexandria you will be waiting for that potion for another 10 years.”

“Hey!” Evelyn reaches her hands out and uses her magic to cause a ringing sound to pierce through the air. I clutch my ears even though I know it won’t help. Zephyr manages to snap his fingers albeit shakily, and Evelyn recoils when a flash of light shocks her.

“Guys,” I rub my eyes.  _ Caught in the middle again. _ “I brought you here for a much bigger reason.”

The twins pretended to not hear me and stood up. Evelyn touches her right ruby earring, Zephyr touches the sapphire pendant that dangles from his choker, both items which happen to be their vinulveriacs. I roll my eyes at their antics, grabbing my staff and hitting it on the ground like Nanny McPhee did to control the misbehaving children. Safe coils of purple lightning snake their way up the twins and cage their arms to their sides.

“Calm down you two! I don’t have time for this. I think the obscure was killed by an Enchant!” Upon hearing my words, the twins snap out of their fight and gasp out exclamations.

I let them go, and Evelyn collapses to the floor. Zephyr on the other hand storms over to me and grips my bicep, “You can’t go around just saying that. Why would any of us kill an Obscure? We’re all like family here! That’s bull crap and you know it.”

“Has anyone reported missing their vinulveriac?”

“Yeah, but—”

“They found it.”

“Bullshit.”

“Zef, let me go,” I roll my shoulders a few times when he does. He steps back and frowns. 

Evelyn bites her lip, “Alexandria… Vinulveriacs go missing sometimes. It doesn’t mean one of us killed that Obscure. It might just be a rumor. How do you know they found it? Did you see it with your own eyes?”

“Besides,” Zephyr leans over the table, his back to me. “I thought you said they think it was an inside job.”

“I overheard a conversation about it. They found the vinulveriac at the murder scene.” I go to explain more, but I realize that I would be further throwing Kierane and Verity under the bus.  _ I guess I’ll never change.  _

“Who?” Evelyn looks at her brother again. Probably, twin telepathy.

“I—”

“Don’t be a numbskull, numbskull. She’s not going to tell us.” He kicks the table he was leaning against. “She doesn’t trust us with that information.”

I decide to leave them alone. Nothing I could say would get through the familial Delvaux stubbornness. I work my way through the labyrinth that is our Coven. There was a time when I would love traversing the twists and turns of the hallways, but that was when I was way younger. Now, I just aimlessly try to find the place I came from. 

Extracting anything useful from the Coven was proving to be a hopeless endeavor. Everyone I passed, I would subtly inquire about the dead Obscure and what Verity and Kierane were looking into. But nothing. Absolutely nothing.

After I had seen the same sign five times, I slowly begin to understand how much I need Evelyn and Zephyr to navigate the maze. Luckily, I recognized a potted plant that was puking stars—it was a botanical experiment gone magically wrong. A few more turns and I’ll be back at my portal. 

As I pass the plant in between it’s vomit cycles—I don’t need to be covered in glittery sparkles and stars for days—I hear two voices from around the corner.

“You fucking screwed up.”

“I know, I know, I know!”

“You better fix this. You are going to be in deep shit if they find out about your fuck up.”

“We shouldn’t be talking here.”

“Like hell we shouldn’t! You’re the one who messed up here buddy. Not me.”

“Well, what should I do? Besides you’re the one that pulled me into Umbra! If I go down, I’m dragging your ass with me.”

I hold my breath in an attempt to conceal my presence. Unfortunately, I stopped right in front of the plant, and it just decided to expel another round of stars from it’s system. I make the tiniest sound from my mouth when I bite my arm to stop my yelp. I hear the two people shush each other. I run around the corner in attempts to see the two suspects, but no one is there when I arrive. Countless questions swirl around my mind, and I have no way to answer them.

One thing is for sure. If I want to know what the heck is happening, there is only one place to go. I have to help Verity Kaylock and Kierane Lyell. 

As I walk through my door, I can’t help but wonder out loud, “What is Umbra?”


	15. Just A Spoonful of Aconite

**VERITY**

Nothing particularly interesting has happened over the past two days. Kierane and I haven’t been able to find any new information, and our attempt at deciphering the book has reached a dead end. I sat down this morning to look at all of the pictures, but each one is more confusing than the last. I guess the lack of physical activity for hours on end is unbearable for Kierane, because she rips the book from my fingertips and demands that we go out for frozen yogurt. Although it’s supposed to be a relaxing experience, I can’t help but let my mind drift back to the book that had been tossed onto our coffee table. 

Before I know it, we’re on our way back to our apartment, and I no longer need my new favorite accessory, Liam’s umbrella. The night settled long ago, and—since Kierane chose the one froyo place on the opposite side of the city—the drive back is unnecessarily long. Kierane drops me off at the door to our apartment building before going to park the car. 

The elevator is currently being maintenanced—as it has been for the past 7 years, according to our neighbors—so, by the time I’ve trekked up three flights of stairs, I’m ready to flop onto my bed. _If I ever find the person who created these damnations, I will gut him like a fish, because this is the worst._

I take the keys out of my bag, and the tiny Joker keychain rattles amongst the other fandom related metal objects on the ring. When I go to enter the key, I notice the door is already unlocked. Fear takes a hold of my body, and my flight response activates. My initial inclination is to run downstairs and wait for my much stronger, much more intimidating friend. _Stop being a chicken. You have to stand your own ground. Kierane can’t keep being your knight in shining armor._

Like all horror movie female minor characters that disappear halfway through the movie only to reappear in a bathrobe before she dies, I warily open the door. It creaks as it reveals the dark living room, only furthering my notion that this where my death scene begins. I place my hands on my chest and take a deep breath in order to harden my composure. I enter the room, and opt not to turn on the lights. I can hide better in the dark, and luckily my eyes easily adjust. I close the door behind me and walk to the living room, looking for something to defend myself with.

“Are you planning on hitting me with a pillow?”

A chihuahua-esque yelp leaves my mouth, and I throw the one thing available: the furry purple pillow that’s travelled with Kierane and I for most of our lives. The most average-looking male figure that has ever graced my presence flinches and shields his face with his hands in defense.

“Oh crap! You actually did!”

“Who are you?” I pick up another pillow and raise my hand to throw it, scampering backwards to put distance between me and the unknown man in my kitchen. He turns on the small table lamp that I use when I need to work late at night and don’t want to keep Kierane up with bright lights.

“Calm down. I’m not here to hurt you. I just wanted to enlighten you on a vital piece of information that you’ve seemed to have missed.” His smirk is nauseating. I lower my gaze, and I notice the pictures spanned out in front of him on the marble counter. 

“Oh these?” He notices my silent curiosity. “I’ll get to them in a moment. I want to draw your attention to this.”

He pulls a vial out of a pocket on the inside of his shawl. The liquid is a shimmery purple. Something inside my stomach twists, and he hasn’t even told me what it was.

“Tell me who you are, and what you’re doing here. And what is that?”

“So many questions,” he sighs and comes out from the kitchen. He places the vial on the coffee table in front of me, and I flinch at the elevated sound of the vial thumping. “You’re so precious. You think you’re in control, but you and I both know…”

I’m paralyzed as he leans close to me, and whispers, “You’re weak.”

He backs away, “Since, you’re speechless. My name’s Finnian Fyggis. I already know you, Verity. I’ve been watching you for a while.”

I pick up the bottle, and immediately I’m mesmerized by the honey-like viscosity. “You’re giving this to me?”

“What you hold in your hand is a tiny sampling of Wolfsbane. I have more, but I figured you'd like a little protection from your guard dog.”

“Wolfsbane? Isn’t that fictional?”

“It’s not. Of course yours is diluted, it’ll merely knock a Lunar out.” He pulls out another larger bottle, and the color is darker and brighter than one I have. “This one would kill them. And, if your guardian puppy gets in the way, I’ll use it.”

My grip tightens around the bottle. “I’ll say this one more time. What do you want?” 

“Nothing really.” He gives me nothing more. Obviously, he’s enjoying the leverage he has on me.

“What’s stopping me from hurting you right now?”

“Nothing,” he sits down on one of the bar stools. “But I know you won’t. You’re afraid. You don’t think that you’re strong enough. That you’ll just mess it up. Which only further proves that you’re useless and can’t do anything without help.”

Tears prick my eyes, but I will not show him my insecurities. I know everything he’s saying is true, but a squint and hope he thinks it’s a glare. “So, you’ve been watching me. How much do you know?”

“Enough. I know your secret.”

My eyes widen substantially. _Does he know I killed someone?_

“What do you think Liam Jacobs’ family felt when they heard their son was missing? Late at night, are you haunted by the image of what you did? His sister sobbing into the mother’s chest. The father shattering his stoic reputation in order to shed tears for his ‘sport.’ You realize that they will never have closure thanks to you. They’ll question what happened to him. ‘Did he run away?’ ‘Was he killed?’ And they’ll never know that he was murdered. Fed on like a common farm animal.”

I grit my teeth, “Who do you think you are? You don’t know the circumstances.”

He laughs bitterly, “Oh, Verity. You’re a monster.”

“I know.”

“Accepting the truth I see. Don’t worry soon the whole world will know. If you don’t play the game, I will expose you and everything you’ve done. I have more than enough pictures to convict you.”

“There’s no way you have pic—”

“It’s enchanted,” he fakes a gasp. “Yes, I know all about Enchants! Shocker there right?”

I hear the latch of the door turn. _Kierane…_

“Sorry about the wait,” I hear her come closer and quickly glance at the deadly Wolfsbane in Finnian’s hand. “I had to park so far out. Someone stole our parking—”

She enters the room. She rushes to shield me and take a defensive stance in front of me. I caught a glimmer of electric blue start to take over her eye’s natural color. I notice Finnian’s eyebrows furrow, and his fingers flex. 

I blink. 

The minute hand moves down one tick.

My arm leaves its place at my side. The vial enters my peripheral vision.

I blink.

The liquid is dripping down Kierane’s neck. Remnants of the glass cascade down her clothes.

I blink.

A trickle of blood pools in my palm. It’s warm compared to my cold body.

I blink.

Kierane falls onto the floor. The sound of her body engulfs the clatter of glass.

The minute hand moves down one more tick.

“Holy,” Finnian is speechless. Out of everything he thought would happen, that didn’t cross his mind. He couldn’t do anything other than look at me as if I wasn’t who he thought I was. Soon the moment is over, and he’s laughing. His nose flaring slightly as he does so. “What kind of friend are you?”

“Shut up.” I’m in no mood to entertain him. With a bit—okay, a lot—of effort, I sling Kierane onto the couch. I’ll have to clean up later and figure out what I’ll tell her. _Hopefully she doesn’t remember what I did._

“This turned out to be a great move. What a great way to spend my night.”

“You made me do this. You said you were going to kill her.”

He picks up his pictures and—pulling out a briefcase that I didn’t realize he had—tucks them away, “She’s not dangerous, and she’s useless to us if she’s dead. I wouldn’t have killed her. You made a smart decision here, because I will sacrifice one piece in this game of ours if I have to.”

“Where are you going?”

“This was fun, but I have more important things to do before morning.”

He comes close and grips my chin in a tight hold, “I am untouchable. If you come after me, investigate into who I am, or tell anyone I was here…”

He brings his lips close to mine, “I’ll ruin you and everything you hold dear."


	16. I Wanted Dessert, But I Got Stabbed Instead

**KIERANE**

When I start to awaken, I scrunch my eyes to block the invading sun coming in from the windows. Keeping my eyes closed, I get up and begin my journey out of my room into the bathroom using just muscle memory. Suddenly, an agonizing pain shoots up my leg, and I open my eyes in the nick of time to catch myself on the coffee table before I fall and hit my head.  _ Am I in the living room? _

I try to recall the day before, but my memory stops after coming home. Even that seems hazy, but I had to have returned home at some point after going to get frozen yogurt.  _ Right? _

“Afternoon, sleepyhead.” 

Verity is in the shadows of the hallway. She looks a little awkward just standing there, but it dawns on me that the curtains are open and the light has trapped her in the hallway. A groan slips from my lips at the throbbing in my shin, but I stand up regardless to address her. “It’s afternoon? Lemme close the curtains real quick.”

She smiles in relief, but it quickly fades as she talks, “Yeah, you slept through the morning again. It’s becoming a habit. You missed your morning class, so Alexandria came by with the notes you missed. She seems to be pretty keen on you. I didn’t answer when I saw her through the peephole, but she left them on the welcome mat. How does she know where we live?”

“Uh,” I wrack my head trying to remember the time. Usually it’s a memory that comes to mind relatively fast, but all my thoughts are lagging right now. “It was—uh, I think—oh, for an assignment we got partnered for. It was a while ago, and I think you were out clubbing that night with your other friends.”

She just hums in reply. Once the last curtain is closed, she makes her way to the kitchen and puts away the spray bottle used for cleaning up stains. I decide now is a good enough time to ask her, “What happened last night by the way?”

“You got drunk and passed out.”

I don’t remember drinking. “What?”

“Yeah,” Verity shakes an empty bottle of vodka at me before throwing it in a trash bag. “We had the whole bottle. I would say you knocked out after most of the bottle was gone.”

That doesn’t sound like something I do—not that it hasn’t happened before.  _ It is possible… I guess. _ “But I don’t drink.”

“Probably why you’re such a lightweight.”

I nod my head. A part of me doesn’t believe her, but it doesn’t sound like she is lying. Then again, I wouldn’t know if she was. Verity can be very believable when she wants to be. I look down at my clothes and recoil, “Holy shit why is that so strong?”

She laughs and hands me a pair of my clothes, “Before you fell onto the couch, you got into my favorite perfumes. Next time we go to Macy’s, you owe me a new bottle of Chanel.”

My mind jumps to the prices I see whenever Verity shops online, and I take a moment to pray for my wallet, especially considering how expensive Chanel is. “Do I have to?”

“No ifs or buts. You spilled the whole bottle, then I had to look after your drunk ass while you danced to Jason Derulo on your bed, and I had to clean up after you. It took me all night. I’m just making sure I get paid for my hard work.”

She shoves me toward my room, and tells me to get ready. 

. . .

When I step out of my room, I see Verity on the phone. She’s upside down on the couch, and her white hair tumbles to the floor in nearly perfect waves and curls. She’s kicking her feet and giggling, and I get a flashback to the summers of us sitting and talking on the dock at the lake that we used to go to when we were just teenagers. 

“I wouldn’t be too upset with her. She’s been busy,” Verity picks up a strand of her hair and twirls it mindlessly. After a moment of pause—probably the other person talking—she continues. “Of course I’ll reprimand her, Mrs. Lyell… Oh yes, I’m sorry,  _ Sandra. _ ”

I do a double take. She notices me hovering above her and waves. I mouth to her, “Are you talking to my mom?”

She grins. Staring me down, she tells my mom, “We would love to come visit today! Alright bye bye Sandra… Yes, see you soon.”

She clicks off the phone and rolls off the couch, “Get the keys. You’re going home.”

“Why were you talking to my mom? Did she call you?” After I grab my shoes, I follow her out of the apartment and down the stairs. She doesn’t even give me time to put them on.

“I called her,” she stops at the second story and pauses, giving me enough time to put my right shoe on. But right after I tie my laces, she continues down the stairs, forcing me to limp after her with the other shoe in my hand.

“What? Why? Wait—you have her number?”

“Well she’s a great woman,” she looks back at me. “And I don’t see you calling her. Besides, I always call her on Fridays.”

I stumble on a step when I process what she says. “I haven’t spoken to her since… I don’t even know.”

“It was four weeks ago. Your mother told me.” She giggles at my face, which was probably a mix between shocked and perturbed. I bump into her and she yelps.  _ The first floor landing. Thank god. I can put on the second shoe and stop limping. _ My joy is cut short when she leaves, and I can’t tie my laces.

“You should talk to her more often. She’s very sad that she doesn’t hear from her _ Sniggly Boo Boo McCutiekins. _ ” 

Again, I’m tripping down the stairs, my face hot with embarrassment. “I thought that nickname was secret! She swore she would never say it again. How do you know about it?”

She just smiles at me with a knowing glint in her eyes. She says nothing as I lead us to the car. After a long journey— _ thank god I remember the location _ —we hop in the car. I look at her with pleading eyes, but she shakes her head.  _ God, my parents…  _ I mentally prepare myself for the onslaught of photo albums.

. . . 

My life flashes before my eyes… literally. As predicted, as soon as Verity and I enter the house, a plate of cookies is thrown in our faces, and we are ushered to a table full of scrapbooks. Each one is labelled after a year of my life, and I do mean every year of my life. 

When I zone back into the conversation, I’m immediately attacked by my father. “Verity, it’s so sweet of you to send us pictures of our little girl. Luna knows, she doesn’t bother to contact her weary old parents anymore.”

“What do you mean weary old!? You guys go out for a 3 hour run every other day!” I pipe up indignantly. 

My mother sighs dramatically, “Cutiekins, we aren’t as young and spritely anymore. Would it kill you to phone us now and then? This darling right here does… Please, help yourself to another snickerdoodle.”

Verity grins smugly and bites into her fifth cookie. “Thank you so much, Reginald, for making these. They’re my favorite!”

“Are you on a first name basis with my parents?!” The situation is getting really uncomfortable, but apparently I’m the only one feeling it.  _ Just how close are they? I didn’t even know they ta— _

My thoughts are interrupted when my dad pinches Verity’s cheeks.  _ This is so weird. _ He pours her a glass of iced tea. “Here you go.”

“Hey, dad?” He makes a noise that sounded like a ‘yeah.’ “Can I have some?”

“Sure,” he hands me the pitcher. I grumble as I pour my drink myself. 

Time passes by faster when my mom brings out jenga. The competition is fierce. I go to take out a piece when the doorbell rings.

“I’ll get it,” Verity makes her way to the door.

I hear her open the door to ask who it is, but she immediately cuts herself off, and the door closes just as fast. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding when the piece comes out flawlessly. I place it on top with ease.

“Who was it dear?” My mom inquires.

Verity just smiles, “Oh, no one.”

The doorbell rings again, and Verity frowns, “I’ll get it.”

My dad takes his turn, but my attention is no longer on the game. I hear the door open and close faster than last time. Verity returns with a casserole dish in her hands.

“Who was it?”

“Just the delivery guy. He brought this,” she places it down in the kitchen. This time a rapid succession of knocks occur.

I stand up before Verity can leave the kitchen, “I got it this time.”

I open the door and see why Verity was being so random. They don’t notice it’s me.

“Please don’t close the door again. He’s sor—oh, Kierane. Thank goodness! Please let us in,” Jett clasps his hands together.

“Hmm. I dunno. Has the great alpha decided to get over his pride and apologize to the innocent person we’re trying to help?”

Kai’s head is towards the ground. He looks up and I see the guilt in his eyes. His voice is as dead as ever, “I brought baked ziti.”

Jett growls and jabs him in the stomach, “He’ll apologize.” He turns to the other male and hisses, “You’ll apologize.”

“Good. Come in.”

They walk into the dining room where my parents are setting the table. Upon seeing the boys, they stop and gush over how ‘big they’ve gotten.’ As if they didn’t just see them at the last full moon.

“Please take a seat. Have you met Verity?” My mom asks innocently. The tension in the room rises as Kai gulps and Jetts awkwardly chuckles.

“Regardless,” my dad, thankfully, intervenes. “She cooked most of our dinner today, so be sure to be kind to her tonight.”

Verity comes into the room, and she scowls at Kai behind my parents’ backs. She feigns innocence, “Oh, I hope I made enough for everyone. I didn’t know we were having more guests.”

“It’s alright, darling. It was a last minute thing,” my mom rubs Verity’s shoulder in comfort. “I just realized it’s been a long time since my cutiekins had over these two. Did I tell you about Kai and Jett? Kierane has been attached to those two since they were all cubs in diapers.”

“You’ve mentioned them once or twice.” Verity takes the seat in between me and Kai. She turns to Kai with the sweetest smile and gives him a hug. “You must be Kai. I’ve heard that you’re a sourpatch. So, when I saw your dark brooding expression and how closely you resemble the typical jerk, I thought, ‘You must be Kai.’ Hi, I’m Verity.”

He awkwardly accepts the interaction and takes the tiny jabs in her words. She also says hi to Jett, but with a lot less words. I’m more surprised that my parents don’t think anything is off. She quickly excuses herself to bring out the dinner she made.

The food is placed in front of us, and Verity puts a little on her plate out of courtesy. Dinner goes by as smoothly as it possibly could with the death glares being shot every so often between Kai and Verity—I also partake in the offhand and offensive comments directed at Kai. I’m having so much fun that before I know it, Verity is standing to grab dessert.

“Sit down, dear,” my father ushers Verity to take her seat again. 

My mother grabs my father’s arm. “You’ve done so much. Let us grab the ice cream and tarts.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Please, let us,” my father ducks into the kitchen with my mother following, and the door swings shut behind them.

At that moment, all hell breaks loose, and all the tension and anger that had been building overflows. 

“What the actual fuck do you think you’re doing here?” Verity seethes.

“We were invited.” Kai rolls his eyes.

“You didn’t have to come,” Verity is gripping her steak knife so tightly that her knuckles turn white.

“It’s called being polite, but then again, you don’t know the meaning of the word.”

“You’re the rude one. You don’t get to be a jackass, and then waltz in here, and just expect me to forgive you.”

“Well you don’t have to be a bitch about it.”

Verity gasps. Her anger flares. I look into her eyes and notice they’re a luminescent hot pink. Her rage is so vicious that, before anyone realizes, she’s plunging the steel knife into Kai’s thigh. 

“Holy fuck!” Kai’s whole body collapses inward as he grasps his thigh.

I almost believe I imagined the fangs and her eyes changing, because when I look at her again, her appearance is the same as always. A trickle of blood gushes from the wound, and it causes her to snap out of whatever wrath-filled trance she was in. I can sense how overwhelmed she is when she stumbles over her words, “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I swear I didn’t mean to.”

Jett and I get over the preliminary shock and just laugh it off. Kai’s dealt with much worse before, he’ll survive. Jett breathes deeply to explain why we’re laughing to the very confused Verity, “He’ll be fine in half an hour or so. Luckily for us, that knife wasn’t silver.”

I wipe the tears in my eyes, and clear my throat, “Don’t get us wrong, it still somewhat hurts, but it’s not too bad. If anything, it was the surprise that caused so much pain for him.”

Kai’s voice is raspy, “Shit, that hurt so bad.”

“You deserved it asshole, now apologize to her,” I cross my arms. “You’re the one to blame for being in this mess anyway.”

He took the knife out as soon as it happened, so the wound is already beginning to heal. He straightens himself out, and in the most sincere voice I’ve ever heard him use, he apologizes, “I really am sorry for what I said to you. I’ve known you for a long time, maybe not as friends, but I know you aren’t capable of actually hurting someone—despite your recent action to stab me, because honestly I did deserve that.”

When my parents enter with the bowls of ice cream and tiny plates of various flavors of tarts, all four of us are joking around.

“I see you’ve made Verity feel at home,” my mom smiles at us. A flash of light invades our view, my dad took a picture. Verity stands up in shock.

“Please delete that,” her eyes are wide with desperation.

“But why? I’m sure you all look so…” My dad trails off as he looks down at the picture.

“It’s time to go home,” I stand up and pull Verity out of the house. “I’ll call you guys and explain everything later.”

The four of us quickly say goodbye and stand outside. After everything that happened, all we can do is enjoy being together. The only light is the moon, and all we have is each other. I’m glad Verity and Kai worked things out.

  
Verity and I head home, and I call my parents before going to bed. I tell them about Verity turning into an Obscure—leaving out a lot of detail, but they understand. They’ve always been so compassionate.  _ I should talk to them more often. _


	17. Sometimes You Aren't Ready To Be A Parent

**FLASHBACK**

✤ ✤ ✤

_ When Verity is 5 years old. _

The night falls, and it gets closer and closer to young Verity’s bedtime. As per routine, she brushes her teeth, gets into her pjs, and braids her hair. It was only a month ago that she had learned to do all this herself. Her relatives were astonished that a child could be remarkably independent at such a young age. Of course she isn’t perfect. She has to use a stool to reach the sink, and she has to clean up the spills of toothpaste everywhere. She always misses a button on her nightshirt, or puts the gown on backwards, and her braids are never even. But she gets better and better every night.

She pulls the sparkly cotton candy pink curtains of her canopy to each side, making sure to tie them open. Then, she grabs yet another stepping stool from under the foot of her bed and clambers into her much-too-high queen sized bed. She is all but engulfed in the periwinkle and rose colored sheets adorned with white lilies. Her bed is very much fit for a princess, which Verity was. She makes her way to the left side—on the right is a beige bunny with a magenta ribbon tied around its neck.

She stares into the peak of her canopy, but sleep never takes over her body. She sees her bookshelf through the translucent curtains and smiles as she sets her gaze on a particular book. Crawling out of bed, she grabs the book and throws it where she was just laying down, before running out of the room.

. . . 

Verity now finds herself in her parents’ office. Both of them are on their laptops. Bluetooth ear pieces on, her father sternly makes demands into his, and her mother’s recently manicured nails click away on her keyboard.

“Momma? Can you read me a bedtime story?”

Without even looking at her daughter, she waves her off. “Not now, Bunny. I’m in the middle of something very very important. Why don’t you ask daddy?”

Verity pouts her lips, and her cheeks puff up, but she twirls around and makes her way to her father. She stops in front of his desk. Going onto her tippy toes, she peers her doe-like eyes over the table. “Daddy?”

“Yes, Bunny?”

“Story? Please?” 

“Very busy, Bunny,” he mutters to her before quickly frowning, “Not you, Norville. I’m talking to my daughter. Why in the world would I call you Bunny? …Yes that was very stupid of you.” 

“Pretty pretty please?”

He covers his ear piece and looks into his daughter’s big eyes. He puts his hand on her head and ruffles her hair. A smile breaks out on her face, and he smiles too, but his is bittersweet. “Tomorrow, Bunny. I promise.” It was the first of many unkept promises.

Verity sighs and drags her feet out of the office. Outside the door, she runs into the legs of her aunt. 

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Verity shrugs. “I wanted a story.”

Verity’s head is down, so she doesn’t see the conflicted expression on her aunt’s face as she looks at the closed door that she knew contained her brother and sister-in-law. She bites her lip, but it isn’t her place to say anything to them. She’s just a guest in their house, only living with them until she finds her footing.

“I can read you a story. Do you have one in mind?” The aunt is captivated by the sparkle in the little girl's eyes, for there is so much life behind them.

“Would you?”

“Of course, bunny.”

Verity grabs her aunt’s wrist, trying so hard to fully wrap her hand around it, but her fingers are much too tiny. So, she changes to grab the skirt of her dress, something she can easily clasp. She pulls her aunt all the way to her room. 

She leads her aunt straight through the canopy and onto her bed. She bounces on her bed and gives her aunt the book she loves.

“Where the Wild Things Are? You want this one?”

“Yup! The boy goes rawr and dances like this.” Verity stands up on her bed and lifts her hands above her head. She flexes her fingers to mimic the picture and starts stomping. The two of them break out into a fit of laughter as Verity crawls back into the covers.

“Alright if you say so. ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak,” her aunt begins to read the story. She gets through a page and half when Verity cuts her off with a startling question.

“Auntie? Do momma and daddy still love me?” The innocence and sheer misery evident on the child’s breaks the aunt’s heart in two.

“Verity…” She closes the book and places it on the night table, “Cuddle Bunny, your parents love you very much.”

“Then why do they never tuck me in and check under my bed for monsters anymore?”

“Bunny baby, they’re just very busy people nowadays.”

Verity’s nose twitches and her voice trembles, “But the monsters…”

Her aunt is at a loss of words. She doesn’t know what is going through the minds of Verity’s parents. She offers the only thing she can right now. “How about I scare the nasty monsters away? Would you like that?”

Seeming to have forgotten her woes, Verity nods her head vigorously.

“Yes, please.”

✤ ✤ ✤

_ Verity is eight years old. _

Peace in the suburbs can only be broken by a few things—construction workers putting up yet another identical house, drunk teenagers at a party blaring rap music from their cars, and a loud verbal fight between the Kaylock couple. The Kaylocks could often be heard by their neighbors, arguing about money and whatever problems are currently being dealt with in their company. 

What the fight was about this time is unknown to everyone but the two in question. However, that doesn't stop Verity’s aunt from intervening for the sake of the daughter they seem to have forgotten was in the house.

“Stop fighting, you two,” she closes the windows and pulls down the blinds in order to keep out unwilling observers. “Your daughter is in the other room.”

“Stay out of this, Delilah,” Verity’s father rounds on his sister.

Aunt Delilah stands firmly, “I will not. I’ve left this go for too long, and I’m not having it anymore. You have an amazing, wonderful, and beautiful daughter, but you care more about the stock market than her ballet recital.”

Verity’s mother stands next to her husband. In this instance they are in agreement. “Verity comes later. We’re doing this for her sake anyway, so we can pay for her.”

“Your child should come first. Love her now,” Aunt Delilah desperately tries to reason with the stubborn Kaylocks. She thinks back to all the times Verity has been alone, all the times her success have been overlooked, and how she pushes herself to be perfect in attempts to finally have her parent’s recognition.

“I think it’s best you go,” the father points to the front door. “This isn’t a matter you should have stepped into.”

“Simon, Geneva, please listen to--”

“Get out!”

Aunt Delilah begrudgingly leaves the house, saying that she'll be back for dinner. Silence fills the room now, and Verity, who had been hiding in the hall just behind the door, tumbles into the room. She had been watching the shadows of the adults under the door, her parents had most likely turned the fireplace on due the icy cold winter that had begun to settle in.

“Father, mother. I—”

“Were you eavesdropping?” Her father’s eyes narrow in anger. 

Her mother crosses her arms. She steps forward, her head dropping to the left, “Children shouldn’t stick their noses in things that are too adult for them.”

Verity hugs the bunny that has been an emotional support for her all her life closer and tighter to her chest. Her shame is evident in the way her body shrinks, and her face is pink.

“What are you even doing with a stuffed animal at your age?” Her father grabs the bunny from arms, ripping it from her clutches

It’s as if the air has been forcefully torn from her lungs. She’s gasping for air. “Please give it back.”

“You’re too old for such silly things.” Her father is marching away from where Verity seemed to sway as if she couldn’t find her center of gravity. In reality, her head was spinning.

She sees him starting to go towards the fireplace. The house wasn’t overly modern, so the fireplace wasn’t covered with glass and all technology, it had to be stoked and maintained with real wood. The fire was much too real… much too dangerous.

Before she can comprehend what she’s going she’s rushing forward as the bunny leaves her father’s hand, “Dad no!” 

The bunny lands in the crackling fire. Tears pour Verity’s eyes, her bottom lip trembling as she backs away in horror. She crashes into the doorway, but that doesn’t faze her. She has to get away. She goes to the only place she still finds solace in, her room.

Simon’s anger subsides, and washes away when he sees the crystal-esque tears falling like beads from his one and only daughter’s eyes. The sound of fizzling reaches his ears, his heart rate spikes. He grabs the water pitcher in front of him and douses the fire. He looks at the once beige bunny among the ashes and burnt wood in distress. Geneva is pushing him back, and his back hits the wall.

Her voice is furious, and she immediately interrogates him as if he’s a lowly criminal. “What the hell are you doing? We aren’t those types of parents.”

Geneva can’t bring herself to look at him much longer. She grabs the bunny, ignoring the stinging heat. She goes to her daughter’s room. She knocks. Upon hearing no response, she opens the door anyway and sees Verity curled up in her canopy bed.

“It’s slightly charred. But we can clean it up, and it’ll be as good as new.” She tries to ease her daughter. 

Verity turns around and holds her hand out to take the bunny, “Thanks mom.”

“I love you, bunny. And your father does too,” Verity’s mother tries to heal the damage of the day. Verity can’t tell if it’s working or not. She simply feels numb. “You know that, right? He was just a bit upset. You should’ve seen how distraught he was.”

“I know.” But Verity didn’t believe it. “I love you too mom.”

Verity has kept the bunny, burns and all. To this day, it sits on her bed, as a memory of a better time—when she was just a child and didn’t know better.


	18. Nightmares Love Company

**UNKNOWN**

One knock to gain their attention. Pause for 3 seconds. Knock. Pause 2 seconds. Four more knocks to seal the deal. I secretly hope that they won’t answer. Then, I could go home—away from Umbra and the sinking guilt-ridden feeling dragging me deeper and deeper into their clutches. Unfortunately enough, the door swings open after two raps.

“Our liege has been waiting for longer than necessary.” The lights in the foyer were off. Clearly, they were about to sleep soon. I’m greeted by whom I think is a male, but I can’t be sure, as they covered their face in a bandana and obviously a cloak. “This way, follow me.”

“Alright. I won’t stay too long.”

They take me upstairs into the master bedroom, and I’m forced to knock again. Briefly, hope bubbles up again, and I let myself believe that “our liege” could be asleep already. My optimism is burst quickly by a soft call to come in. I hesitantly walk in, leaving behind any chance I had to back out—it’s like this every time I have to return.

“It’s always nice when you visit me.” Our liege is sitting in front of a chess board. There’s no opponent, just our liege and a mirror. The mirror itself is centuries old. Our liege loves to tell the story of how the mirror was a gift from a French monarch back in the ‘great olden’ days. The ornate possession is completely golden and could be worth a couple hundred thousands if sold. But, our liege says it was proof that even the mightiest of leaders could be manipulated. After all, the monarch was convinced our liege was a cousin of his. It took months to gain his trust.

“Who’s winning?”

“Come sit,” a hand pats the cushion. “You can learn a thing or two.”

Without a word I take a seat. I hold my hands in my lap and try not to move. I look at the chessboard and notice that the black pieces are on our side. Our liege moves a bishop forward, but I can’t tell if it was a smart play or not.  _ I know nothing about chess. _

“I’m just catching up,” our liege gives me a smile. “How are you?”

“Let’s skip the pleasantries. I heard what you’ve been planning. Everyone is talking about it. Everyone that knows anyway.” My hands subconsciously clench together. I only notice when they begin to feel stiff, and immediately I relax. When I look up, our liege is looking at the board.

“It has to be done. She needs to take that next leap.”

“We can find another way—a better way.” I stand up and knock over a few pieces. Our liege’s eyes flare in an instance. Before I can blink they’re back where they belong, and our liege is calmly taking out a tea bag from a steaming cup of earl grey that I just noticed was there.

“Maybe… we are awaiting their turn—”

“Turn? Whose turn?”

“Our opponent. I moved my bishop.”

I look at the board again and remember the last piece our liege moved.  _ Is our liege talking about real life or this stupid game? _ “I thought our opponent was Kelton, not your imaginary opponent in the mirror!” Without meaning to my anger takes a hold of me, and I lash out. 

Our liege is unfazed. “My child, they are one and the same.”

“Pray tell, how?”

“This board represents all we’ve been doing. All the people are pieces.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I instigated this game, but I allowed Kelton to make the first move. He ignorantly decided to move a pawn, so he can release his queen.”

_ Pawn? Queen? Who?  _ “I still don’t get it.”

“Unbeknownst to our dear Kelton Yada Yada Whatever Drydenhale, he moved Corbin, so he could choose an insufferable little girl as his queen.”

Everything clicks. All the events and plans that our liege has come up with has some correspondence to this chessboard. 

“How can he make moves if he doesn’t even know you started the game?”

“Kelton has been around a long long  _ long _ time. He knows practically every supernatural creature, but he still likes playing defense. Not once has he gone straight for the kill.”

This entire time my focus has been on the chessboard.  _ So many pieces… wait, the queen. _ I shift the white queen, who was slightly out of her square, back into place, “You said that Kelton had one more turn…”

“He does.”

“Can he help or save her?”

“Not with how he plays. He allows his piece to do whatever they want. He has no control over his players and their actions. That discord will bring him to his knees.”

“This wasn’t part of the original plan, and you know it.”

“Plans change depending on how the opponent moves their pieces,” our liege picks up the black queen and scrutinizes it. “When someone who doesn’t understand how chess works should know even that.”

“Is that all this is to you? People have died--”

“People always die. It’s what people do.”

“All this is just a game of chess to you, is that it?”

“Everything in life is a game of chess.”

I roll my eyes.  _ These chess metaphors are starting to tick me off _ . “Stop it with your cheesy chess quotes.”

“Everything you say, everything you do is a decision,” our liege grabs my hand. “Whether you think about the consequences or not, you’re leading yourself to win or lose. You have to keep playing despite the impact your decisions have. This is true of chess and this is true of life.”

“So who am I in your game? A pawn?”

“You're the queen. You’re the most important piece I have.” Something is placed in my hand. I close my fist around the hard object before I’m pushed out the door and bidded good night.

As I step out into the darkness, I open my hand. My liege had handed me the black king—her piece.


	19. Hidden Feelings Arise

**KIERANE**

Verity and I take to the streets, desperate to find something—anything—that could help us. When this whole ordeal started, everything was fast-paced, and new clues were relatively easy to find. But we’ve hit a wall, and I think Verity is taking the lack of evidence much harder than I am. 

I look down at her white Fila sneakers that gain scuffs along the toes as we cross the street. The little glowing crosswalk number is promptly counting down, and the cars to the left of us are revving their engines softly. I grab her arm and pull her resisting body to the curb in the nick of time. The flaring red hand beams above us, and rushing vehicles carve up the road. Briefly, I wonder if they would’ve waited for us or just plowed forward and laid waste to our tediously slow bodies.

A pebble hits me on the side of my ankle, and a tiny sting envelops the area. As I turn to Verity, I am hit with another,  _ larger _ rock. On reflex, I cradle my leg and jump on the other one, as I try to regain balance like a beyblade hit by an opponent as it skids to the edge of the ring. I seethe, “Okay. Stop. I said stop!” 

Verity’s face scowls when I lift her off the floor and over my shoulder. She kicks her feet up into the air, wriggling pointlessly, as she tries to escape my grasp. “Lemme go. Lemme—Lemme go!”

She squeals, but I just let out a chuckle. I notice a few stares, but they are more bothered by the noise than the actual scene. “The game is afoot, Kaylock!”

“But we… we have no more clues?” 

“The clues are out there! I feel it in my jellies.”

“Your  _ jellies _ ?” At this point, her body goes slack.

“Yes.” I receive a Verity special: her ‘Are you serious right now because I honestly can’t tell and that weirds me out’ expression. “The jellies speak to me and they say ‘The clues are out there, young one. Follow me to unspeakable wonder.’”

“Who are you? Me?” 

I laugh because she was right. I was mimicking something she had said years ago, but I doubt she remembers. “Well you’re being a deflated balloon.”

“Okay,” she smacks my forehead—successfully messing up my side part. “Stop using weird lingo to describe things.”

“Now you know how I feel.” I’m so preoccupied by Verity punching my shoulder, that I don’t notice how quickly I pass the buildings. I stop walking.

“Stop hitting me!”

“Put me down then,” her voice is muffled by my shirt as she melts in defeat on my shoulder. If I had been paying attention, I would’ve noticed that we were now standing in the middle of the street during a lag in traffic, but I didn’t—not until it was too late.

In a flash, the front of a black truck is moments away from colliding with me, and the same thought from earlier invaded my mind. Just as I hear a truck’s horn, Verity is escaping my grasp and attempting to push me away from the impending accident. With what I assume is a lot of effort, Verity pushes me onto the sidewalk.

My eyes widen as the car plunges forward, but my vision goes dark as I close them and turn away. I don’t hear the impact due to the paralyzing shock overwhelming my senses. 

“I had it handled.”

_ Wait—is that Verity? _ I snap my eyes open, and in front of me is Verity with her hands crossed and her hips jutting backwards. She was safe.

“You were seconds from being hit.”

I turn to the second voice, and a warmth envelops me.  _ Vanilla and peppermint. _

“I  _ had _ it handled,” Verity slows down her words as she snarkily pops her left leg out. “Stop playing hero.”

“Are you ever going to let it go?” Alex is desperately trying to convey her words with wide, scrambling arm gestures.

“I don’t know  _ what  _ you’re talking about?”

“You’re so…. Just so… Ugh, so—so—so…”  _ She’s so pretty… Okay, no brain. Stop. _

“I’m  _ so,  _ what?”

“You’re so unforgivingly bitter. It’s been years.”

As I watch Verity’s face, I notice it softens and her voice drops, “You never apologized. That’s all I wanted. To hear you admit to  _ someone _ that it was your fault. I don’t even care about what happened… You can’t just come back and pretend everything’s fine because you say so.”

Alex bites her lip and looks away. I get up as they shift uneasily. I struggle to say something, but the longer the silence persists, the less I want to break it.

“What are you doing here, Alexandria? You couldn’t have been ‘just in the area,’” as Verity asks. Seemingly unaffected by the looming stillness, she makes quotation fingers.

“I wanted to help you with….” she trails off and gulps. “With… your investigation.”

Startled by the  _ beautiful  _ Alex’s words, my eyebrows furrow and words begin to tumble clumsily off my tongue. “We don’t need help. We aren’t even investigating. Are we investigating, dude? I don’t even know… ha, ha… Why would we need help if we were just walking. Simply walking, right Ver-Bear? L. O. L.  _ Ver-bear _ . I haven’t called her that in a while. It’s like one day you’re Ver-Bear, the next day you’re—”

“Bro, shuddup,” Verity lightly punches me. She pulls me down by the hood of my sweater, and whispers, “Internalize the gay panic, dude. The goodies are showing.”

The blush on my face is scorchingly bright, and it runs from my nose to my neck and ears. My face is turned to the floor, but I peer through my hair at Alex, who was trying to put together everything I spilled in front of us. The stillness is back, but it’s neutral this time.

Alex blinks rapidly and lightly hits the back of her hand on the other a few times, “You’re in trouble.”

Verity’s and my eyes connect, and our mouths open, but Alex cuts us off, “No, let me talk first.”

I smile with just my lips and nudge Verity to do the same, but she frowns. Alex cautiously looks around, “Follow me. It’s too crowded.”

We follow her down a few streets—minding the cars on their way back home after they were mentally drained by the tyrants they knowingly pledge allegiance to. We turn into the building that used to be a family owned business. The haze of ink permeates the air, and I can see the leftover pen scratches on the wall, from when single fathers brought their toddlers and released them to traverse the endless aisles of glass cases. Splashes of cheap blue and pristine purple ink stain the floor we walk on as we go upstairs.

“I know you’re an Obscure.”

A laugh echoes in the vacant room, “pshh...What’s that?”

“Stop playing dumb,” Alex mimics Verity’s earlier words. Verity jumps forward fangs out, and I pull her back by her waist.

The hostile wiggles of Verity irritate me, and I respond with a more level voice, “How did you know?”

“And you’re a Lunar.”

My grip weakens. Logically, if she found out Verity’s secret, she would know mine as well. Verity slithers from my arms, dropping to the floor, and springs towards Alex. She pounces on her, and both of them tumble onto the piles of crumpled papers and dust bunnies. I notice a pencil rolling toward the walls from Alex’s hair. Their tumble endures for longer than it probably should have. I know I’m supposed to stop them, but I can’t help but think of how attractive Alex is during a catfight. The light sheen of sweat forming on her forehead glistens. I watch the small bead trickle down her face following every curve. I let out a shaky breath—not noticing how the tumbles get more aggressive.

I barely pay attention to Verity telling Alex that she will not let Alex expose me to the world. I slightly catch Verity saying that she would fight anyone to protect me, but I'm too preoccupied by the bead dripping off her jaw.

A sound attune to that of a baker whisking together his newest recipe pulls my attention from the hot and heavy scuffle to a wall behind me. The muffled whines notify me that one of the wrestling girls had triumphantly pinned the other in order to watch the glowing portal materialize. The whisking sound turns into a crackling one as sparks emanate from the edges in gold flares. The portal itself bears a resemblance to liquid mercury.

The magnetic draw is shattered when two people run in backwards from the portal. With their concentration clearly on wherever they came from, they don’t take heed to the people in the room.

“Dude,” the girl with long red hair speaks breathlessly. “You were right.”

The other girl, by who is assume is her twin, continues, “An enchant is kill—”

Both stop talking completely as they take in the scene just over my shoulders. The red-head’s shoulders start shaking and she grips onto a wall to stabilize herself. The other one is biting down on a strand of her hair. I quickly turn to see my best friend and crush— _ I mean, acquaintance— _ in a more than compromising position. Verity is straddling Alex’s waist; the top half of her black shirt must have unbuttoned at some point, so her purple halter bralette is showing in all its lacy glory. Furthermore, Alex's hair is disheveled and her face is a steamy red under Verity’s hand that covers her mouth. Both clearly out of breath.

“Are we interrupting something?” The red-head asks.

The blue-haired girl extends her hand out for Verity to grab. “You must be Kierane. We’ve heard a lot about you.”  _ She talks about me? Fuck… oh my god… she talks about me… a lot _ . 

I retreat back farther into the shadows, pulling my hoodie over my head, while Verity leaps up to her feet. She pats off the dust that had gathered on her red mini shorts and legs. “No no no no… no. I’m Verity.”

She marches straight for me and yanks me from my safe corner. At some point, Alex must’ve gotten up as well, because I go barreling into her. She catches me, one hand on my thigh and the other on my waist.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Verity nudge the red-haired girl. She stage whispers, “They’re the slow burn, oblivious couple. Don’t mistake me for that blubbering fool…”

“Noted,” the red-haired girl chuckles in amusement. “Allow us to introduce ourselves. This is Evelyn, a.k.a. a she-devil… beast from hell…incarnation of everything disgusting, vile, and—”

“Just call me Eve. And this is my brother Zephyr. He’s… annoying… like a cockroach.”

“My friends call me Zef… and by friends I mean Alex and my sis.”

Internally, I’m guilt-ridden as I realize that this entire time I had mistaken Zephyr as a girl.  _ Whoops. My bad… _


	20. Trick of the Brick

**VERITY**

“So you’re all enchants?” My brow crinkles as I scrutinize Evelyn, Zephyr, and Alexandria. It’s an indisputable deduction considering they just emerged from a wall that—if this deduction is correct as well—divides the room we’re in and an sixty-something year old woman’s bathroom. 

Their reply is unnecessary, but the twins attempt to deny the accusations. One of their nostrils flare up, and their lengthy sputters are as awkward as Kierane when we watched Magic Mike in the theaters; we both had been falsely told it was about actual cardistry, and while I was pleasantly surprised, Kierane wanted nothing more than to take her overly-buttered popcorn, bag of snuck-in reese’s peanut butter cups, and large cup of whatever soda she liked at the time home to watch a rerun of BBC’s Sherlock. The cringeworthy face she made that day is a mirror image of her face now that she’s in the arms of her—I shudder visibly at the thought— _ crush. _

“What makes you say that? You—you—you had some… bad mushrooms.” I’m plucked out of my conjectures by Evelyn. 

The excuse is so half-assed that I can’t refrain from grinning. “I’m not that stupid. Joke’s on you. I didn’t eat any mushrooms.”

Watching the two of them squirm is sadistically pleasant. Zephyr is the first to meet my challenging words. “Then… it was a trick of the—”  _ Light? Is he seriously going to say light when we are in the darkest part of the building? _

He’s not as predictable as I originally thought when he comes to the same conclusion I did. However, he’s already begun his excuse, and like a true liar, he commits. “—err, the brick?”

_ And you failed. Good try, I suppose. _ Dubiously I snort, “The brick?”

“Yeah,” he pulls his bangs behind his ears in order to scratch his forehead in distress. “It sounded derpy as I heard myself say it.”

“Yeah.” Both Evelyn and I mutter sympathetically. We lock eyes during the accidental jinx and it’s a race to see who says it first.

“Ji—”

“Jinx! Dammit!” I kick my heel against the floor and ignore the sharp squeak that emits when the shoe’s sole makes contact. 

Evelyn, Zephyr, and I smile, a friendlier atmosphere setting in. My giddy inner child breaks free and initiates a torrent of interrogations, “You  _ have  _ to tell me about magic? What do you do?”

“Well—” But I’m too busy going fifty-five miles an hour in a clearly marked school zone to care about who is struggling to cut me off.

“Okay, so—Wait, obviously you can do portals. At least  _ I _ think it’s obvious. Where were you? Do the enchants hide on a mothership? No, that’s aliens. A coven? A cave? A decently sized cottage with an underground mine shaft that you repurposed to be extra hovels? Do you live in a mansion? I also assume you can—Hold the landline!”

_ Alexandria is an enchant. She has magic. Oh shit!  _ I turn to the girl in question with gaping eyes, “I tried to figure out how your little, elementary self got a full, two-gallon bucket above the door, and you’re telling me it was just magic?”

The speed of my mind runs a red light and is hit by another intrusive thought. I crash into a stop sign. “Take it back now y’all… An enchant is killing who now?”

“So,” Evelyn purses her lips and casts her gaze down to the left. “About that…” 

Kierane and Alexandria unravel from their position that oddly reminds me of a painting I saw years ago—Springtime by Cot. It’s when their fingertips linger and their eyes fix on the floor in a bashful confusion that I have an epiphany. It’s the connection flowing between their unspoken words and unbothered attention to only each other that is reminiscent of Springtime’s lovers. It's that type of longing. That  _ need _ .  _ That I want… and... I’m the idiot keeping them apart. _

“We have a lot to talk about,” Alexandria massages her scalp with her fingers as she stretches out her stiff limbs.

✤ ✤ ✤

There’s an implied quid pro quo as we all relay the information we know. Kierane talked when it was inescapable, but she left all the major details to me. No matter how instantly chummy Evelyn, Zephyr, and I became, I still have to be wary of them. I decided to omit a few inconsequential pieces of information: I killed Liam, I only have a few weeks (time which is exponentially dwindling down), and there’s someone after me—a certain Mr. Finnian Fyggis—and I have no idea why. Then again, the last thing is only for me to deal with.

“Umm, I’m still… trying to wrap my head around everything,” I rock back and forth on my feet.

Evelyn nodded alongside me, “Ditto.”

On the other side of Evelyn, Zephyr grips his chin, “Basically, this guy— _ Corbin _ —was killed. Right?”

“Yes,” Kierane says. “And you guys know the enchant who did it?”

Alexandria draws her words out, “Not exactly, but I overheard a pair of men talking about it.”

Evelyn’s eyes light up. “Us too! Well, it was a group. Four, no five, people. They’re from some sort of group—”

“Organization,” Zephyr corrects.

“Yes,” Evelyn coughs something that sounds like ‘annoyance.’ “We think they’re from an organization…”

“Called Umbra?” I’m beginning to weave the particulars together. “But you don’t know the exact identities?”  _ It’s not actually a question. _

“Simply put.” Alexandria sighs, “Yes.”

“Essentially, you know nothing,” I say.

“We want to help—”

A scoff from the red-haired ‘annoyance’ calls for deference. “I don’t.”

“Bitch!” The absurdly macho yell from his previously sweet twin pierces the words. “You will help, so help me Lady Theophilia—”

“You dare use our Lady’s name in vain?”

Evelyn points. “You. Me. Right now!”

The rumble is vicious, and I back away slowly. No punches are held back, but remarkably neither has begun to bruise. At some point Eve gets the upper hand and smashes his face into the floor. Her knee is on his face, tightly gripping his long hair, and currently she is binding his arms together with his hair. Her tone is of the mocking dominatrix variety, “Heel bitch.”

“He’ll help.” The psychotically sweet contrast as she plastically smiles is alarming.

My face turns into the sweatdrop emoji. Hoping to all the holy deities in the world that I’m not the only one rattled by the out of the blue personality shift, I turn to Kierane, but she’s just nodding along as if it was a relatable thing.  _ What kind of wackos… am I involved with? _

Deciding to speak up, I question, “Are they—Is he going to be—What is going on?”

“Yes,” the absolute weakness in Alexandria’s voice is palpable. “They’re always like that. But, honestly they’re really sweet—”

“I said, heel bitch!” 

The commotion in the background takes precedent, but Alexandria powers through. “—and love each other very much.”

I bite my lip and furrow my eyebrows.  _ Yeah… right. _ A low growl shakes me, and I usually think that’s hot, but in this case, it’s chilling. I can’t tell if it’s originating from Evelyn or Zephyr—maybe it’s both.

Zephyr whines in pain, but his attitude is hanging on by a strong metal chain. “Don’t test me! I will—”

“What? Lick my hand?”

“Licking is for cowards. I’ll bite you like the feral Barbarian King of Beasts I am!”

The animal-related nature that the twins are acting like, reminds me of a certain supernatural society. I say to Kierane, “They’re more dog-like than you!”

“I—I don’t know if I should be offended or…” She responds warily.

“Well they’re like rabid dogs. You’re like… a fluffy, cute, domestic, house-trained puppy that uses a bell to indicate when she needs to go outside.”

Kierane reaches for my neck to pull me into her distinctive chokehold maneuver. She’s stopped by Alexandria petting her head, and murmuring, “Cute.” 

I silently giggle as she calms down like a neutralized puppy as she leans into the rubs. I casually brush her back, and cough to cover an unmistakable, “Puppy.”

Before she can assume her attack position, I slip past her, and offer my assistance to Zephyr. “Need some help there, buddy boy?”

Before my eyes I watch as his temper fades, “I’ll get out! Someway… somehow… possibly… nope, I need help.”

I go behind Evelyn and place my hands on her waist in order to lift her off. I’m only able to get her a few inches above the Zephyr before everything seems to sway under my feet. My grip loosens and a loud ‘oof’ is heard. I stagger back into the wall and grip onto one of the loose bricks. It plummets to the floor, and a wave of nausea overcomes me.

I make my way down the stairs like a drunk girl who has no idea whose arms she’s in. “I’ll be back. I need some air.”


	21. Kai's Thighs

**KIERANE**

The clatter of brick meeting cement startles me, and it makes me realize how out of tune I’ve been. I connect the massive hole in the wall to Verity’s retreating form.

“Ver! No! The sun!” I take off after her, but she’s become astonishingly fast when compared to her human self. I grab the forgotten umbrella hanging on the rail of the stairs as I bolt down them.

“Your umbrella!” I haven’t caught up to her. “Fuck!”

The sound of clambering footsteps follow me, and when I get downstairs, I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Verity balled up against the doorway. I charge up to her with the question, “What the actual fuck did you think you were doing?”

She hums softly, “I’m tired.”

“You absolute dumbass! The sun is out.”

“Uh,” Zephyr taps me on the shoulder and points to parts of her body not covered by the shadows. “She’s… uh… yeah, she’s burning.”

I curse and pull her inside. The tops of her knees are an overly heated pink, and her fingertips are singed. Zephyr is fruitlessly fanning her with his hands, but he ends up mirroring someone who just painted their nails and is trying to dry them without messing them up. Verity’s head lolls from side to side as her eyes flutter in and out of consciousness.

“So tired,” Verity mutters. 

I wrack my brain trying to figure out why she’s acting like this when an idea dawns on me. “She hasn’t eaten in a few days.”

“How long can she go without food?” Zephyr—maybe Evelyn, but I don’t care enough right now to pay attention—asks.

A growl rumbles in my chest, and I snarl out, “I’m not an expert on Obscures. I don’t know!”

“Found yeh.” a gravelly voice comes from around the corner. He’s stubby as if he was still waiting for his final growth spurt to make his body proportional. His wispy white beard looks like a melted marshmallow when it’s stretched between two fingers.

“Who—” 

He cuts me off as he approaches Verity and places his dry ashy hands on her forehead. From this close I get a whiff of his scent, and my nose reels from the overbearing, yet pleasant apple cinnamon aroma. 

“No time for intros.” He turns his head to us with the smile of a baboon. “‘Less you wan’ her to drink blood in tha middle of tha doorway, where people could see?”

He ushers us to lift her to sit on the bottom of the stairs. He places a comically large, velvet purple duffel bag next to her, and I’m bothered by the fact that I’ve noticed it before.  _ What is happening to me? I’m not aware of anything. _

I tune back into reality when an arm pulls my shoulder in a light squeeze. I breathe in vanilla. Alex is giving me a shy smile, and I give her a nod. I see the worry in her tight jaw ease. She tilts her head to Verity, and I notice the strange man is holding a sippy cup to her lips.  _ A sippy cup full of blood? _

“There ye go Newbie.” My ears perk up to catch his words.

The blood drains quickly from it’s bottle, and a drop falls from the corners of her mouth. She whines when the bag is pulled from her lips. The strange man chuckles and wipes the dribbles, “Hush, Newbie. Not too fast. Ye’ll throw up.”

He rubs her back soothingly, and I scrunch my nose in disgust. The man is behaving like a father figure. He turns to address us, “I woulda been here earlier, but ye move all around so much. It took way too long ta find ye.”

For a beat everything stills. The only one moving is Verity as she sucks cheerfully on  the sippy cup. As if someone clicked the play button, we all launch into a confusing overlapped conversation.

The strange man stands up, and with a way of his hand we stop talking. He mocks a bow, “Benji Benji Bennett, but I’m only ever referred t’as B-Cubed. Think o’ me as Verity’s local blood dealer—a lot like a drug dealer, but not as bad.”

B-Cubed pauses, and in that moment Alex tries to cut in. However, not unlike road construction, he randomly pipes up, and we are all forced to wait for the signal from the police officer to continue down the street. “Well, I have to go. Nice talking to ye. I put my business card—I labelled it. Iz very official. ‘As my number, email, and Tinder profile, if ye wan’ that. I always swipe right, if ye wanna know. Wait, one thang at a time. Tha business card inner back pocket. I tried her front pockets, but I forgot women’s clothin’ sews ‘em up! So stupid! My pockets can fit a whole damn turkey leg—believe me, I tried and it works.”

He turns around to leave. Zephyr reaches out to grab his arm to pull him back, but he returns of his own volition, “By the way, a youngin’—a man—is coming. He was very very interested in finding Newbie, so I told him where I was going. He said ‘e would wait until I left. So he’s outside right now. Toodles!”

He’s gone before anyone can say Benji. Evelyn questions his existence, “Who…”

Verity, who has stabilized, jumps to her feet. Startling us, she paces back and forth, “Wait! No! He can’t be here! I did what I was told! I swear!”

She whirls around to the entrance when a boot appears from around the corner. She goes rigid, but quickly softens as Kai comes in. I can tell he heard her too, because he joins us in giving Verity an incredulous look, as if she was a toad-gerbil hybrid.

Kai smiles awkwardly, his hand finding comfort on the back of his neck, “It’s just me?”

Verity places her hand over her heart. “Oh thank god… I thought it was… ”

We raise our eyebrows in silent interrogation, and she blushes under our gaze. She bites her lip and looks off to the side. Her eyes snap to meet mine, “Ted Bundy… Yeah, that’s who I thought it was… I had a nightmare… during the day—Yeah! Oh! And I’m better! Guess I was just hungry… Ha… ha… ha.”

The jittery atmosphere she creates is palpable and uncomfortably weighing down on our shoulders.  _ That’s strange _ , I think to myself. _ Usually, she’d tell me if something serious was going on… I wonder what she’s hiding.  _ She gives us a pleading stare, presumably wanting us to let it go and save her of further humiliation. Due to second-hand embarrassment, we all decide to move on.

“I need Kierane and Verity for something,” Kai says. He makes the vague comment as he shifts his gaze between Alex, Evelyn, and Zephyr.

I sigh, “They know.”

His eyebrows shoot up, and through our pack link, he tells me that we’ll talk about it later. Outloud he announces, “Come with me then. Jett is on his way.”

We all begin to exit the building again with Kai leading the way. As we cross the threshold—Kai, then Alex, then Evelyn and Zephyr, then Verity, and finally me—Eve and Zephyr whisper suspiciously to each other. Verity leans in and before I know it she’s viciously whispering as well. Their faces are dead serious—something I haven’t seen Verity be in a while. And it’s strange.

Curiosity tugs violently at my heart, and I mentally mark this moment as one of my poor life decisions. Readying myself I ask, “What’re you on about?” 

“Should we let her in on it?” Zephyr purses his lips at me.

“No.” Verity warns them, “She won’t understand.” 

“Tell me,” my curiosity has full reign of my mouth, but I’m ignored.

Eve glances at me like a pet she wants to adopt from a shelter. “But guys,” she says in a sing-song voice. “She looks like she really wants to know.” 

“I’m telling you… no,” Verity pouts and puffs up her left cheek. They go silent as they converse through simple eye squints and extravagant gestures. 

_ How are they already like besties? Best friend mind telepathy? W.T.F. _

I can tell Verity lost, or she gave in for the sake of being civil. She bites her bottom lip and puffs up her chipmunk cheeks.

Eve turns giddily to me. She says two words, “Kai’s thighs.”

Verity’s cheeks deflate as she lets out giggles, “ _ Kai’s thighs.” _

“I know right! It rhymes,” Zephyr adds.

I immediately regret all my life decisions for leading me to this instant. _ I knew it was going to be a bad decision, but what did I do to deserve this? _

Eve taps her chin, tilting her head up to the left, “Thighs… or his nice ass?”

Zephyr and Verity follow suit. All of them groan. Zephyr pushes his bangs back to put his fingers on his temples in exasperation, as he cries out, “How does one choose?”

They all nod like the founding fathers of America deciding to sign the Declaration of Independence. I shake my head as my brain hallucinates white powder wigs. I’m currently in a perpetual state of ‘what the fuck?’

Eve punches her hand like a gavel, “Okay, but his wolf form?”

"I know I said I wouldn’t date a werewolf because of the fur,” Verity begins. “But damn do I just want to run my fingers through it right now."

I dry heave, "Fucking hell. You are literally the most disgusting person I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting." 

"You fucking love me, and one day I’ll make him love me too,” Verity declares suddenly confident in her relationship with Kai.  _ Can I even call it a relationship? Definitely not a romantic one, but I guess they coexist enough to be in a type of weird relationship. _

“Girl, you are a fine piece of art too,” Zephyr checks her out from top to bottom.

Evelyn follows her curves too. “You could get any man.” 

“All men,” Zephyr continues his twin’s thoughts. “Me included. Jk. You’re not my end game type… More like a fun summer fling?” 

"If you become a furry,” I pull Verity’s attention to me. “I’m revoking your friendship card."

"You  _ are  _ a furry,” Verity begins.

“And that’s on hypocrites,” Eve and Zef conclude. The three of them snap in unison, and whip their heads forward like the infamous Plastics.

“I hope you know,” Kai called casually back to us. “I heard all that.”

I erupt into laughter as the trio screeches in fear.


	22. OUR ONE AND ONLY AUTHOR'S NOTE!

Hey guys!

This is the editor speaking.

I know a lot of you actually like this story, but we unfortunately can no longer continue this.

The writer hit a block in the story where everything just crumbled beyond repair, and the characters did not at all turn out as we had originally planned.

We are planning to go back to the beginning and completely rework this story.

It will be very similar to what we have now, plot-wise and world-wise, but the character dynamics will be very different.

If you still want to keep up with this story, we will start posting the second draft on February 15th at 5 pm CST.

And no worries! If you did like this story, the old chapters will stay until we start reposting.

The two of us are genuinely very sorry, and we really didn't mean for it to be like this.

Thanks for your support!!!


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